V 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Gl  FT    OF 


Class 


/%^U^4^ 


'  /  ~  /  f 


THE  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 


THE 
SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 


By 
ESTELLA  BACHMAN 


The  natural  effort  of  every  individual  to  better  his  own  condition,  when 
suffered  to  exert  itself  with  freedom  and  security,  is  so  powerful  a  principle, 
that  it  is  alone,  and  without  any  assistance,  not  only  capable  of  carrying  on 
the  society  to  wealth  and  prosperity,  but  of  surmounting  a  hundred  imperti 
nent  obstructions  with  which  the  folly  of  human  laws  too  often  encumbers 
its  operations. 

— Adam  Smith 


EQUITIST     PUBLISHING      HOUSE 

STATION     A 

PASADENA,    CALIFORNIA 
1  909 


Copyright,    1909 

By 
ESTELLA    BACHMAN    BROKAW 

MARCH 


LOS     ANOKUKB. 


Co 

of 

PATRICK    EDWARD    DOVE 

and 

HENRY    GEORGE 


182028 


Whenever  tlio  negative  state  of  mm-int  eH'eivnce  has 
l.een  departed  I'rmii,  and  tin-  equilibrium  »!'  e(|uit\ 
de*t  roved,  just  iff  furnishes  rules  for  positive  interference, 
wherel.y  the  negative  state  may  lie  restored,  ami  the  eipii 

lihriuui     ut'    equity     re  est  al.l  ished !.-•!     all     BOeiety     !•«•     in 

the    ne^ati\e    stale    i.t'    noli  -int « -r\'<  i  •  <.<•>-.    an«l    il     \vnuhl    1'iMiiain 
'i-Vtl'     \\ere     the     Miles     ut'     justice     altelhleil     to. 

-  I'atri.-k     K.lwanl     DoT6, 

1  jirdjMise  to  l>e^  no  (juestion.  to  shrink  from  no  conclu 
sion.  Imt  to  follow  truth  wherevrr  it  may  lead.  I'IHHI  us 
is  the  lesponsil.ility  of  seeking  the  law.  for  in  the  \ery 
heart  of  our  civi  li/at  ion  to<lay  women  faint  ami  little 
i-hililrcii  moan.  I'xit  what  that  law  may  prove  t.i  In-  is  not 
(Mir  affair.  If  the  conclusions  that  we  reach  run  counter 
t(.  our  prejudices.  ],-t  us  not  Ilim-li;  if  they  challenge  insti- 
tuti«»ns  that  have  loiiy  Keen  deeme.l  wise  and  natural,  let 
i,x  not  turn  hack. 

The  tenure  of  land  is  the  t'ltndament al  fact  which  mu>t 
ultimately  determine  the  mini  it  ions  of  industrial,  social, 
ami  political  life.  Henry  Ceorj/e. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page 

1 .     Coining  to  California   9 

'2.     Facing  the  Situation    : 22 

3.  Glen    Harding    • 32 

4.  In  the  Dawn  of  the  Morning 50 

5.  The  Story  of  the  Past   74 

(5.     The  Children's  Picnic    90 

7.     Ernest  Wynn   is   Pux/led    110 

S.     An   Important  Discovery    120 

9.     Along  the  Road    136 

10.  Tremont  and  Wynn   160 

11.  A  Woman 's  Views   185 

12.  In   Dennison's  Office    213 

1  3.     Two   Opinions    258 

14.     The  Dinner  Party   282 

1.").     At   Devil's   Gate    309 

.If).     Karma  and  Equal  Freedom   330 

1 7.  Which  Shall  It  lie ?   353 

18.  A   Disclosure    364 

1!>.     Glen   Hardiiitr's    Kaith    386 

20.  Not   a   Proposal    .                                                 .    410 


X  -. 


CHAPTER  1. 


COMING  TO  CALIFORNIA. 

''Hello,  Grant!  Don't  you  remember  me?"  ex 
claimed  an  alert  passenger,  in  cordial  tones,  as  he 
sprang  from  his  seat  and  caught  the  arm  of  a  tall, 
pre-occupied  looking  man,  who  was  passing  down 
the  aisle  of  a  car  on  the  Santa  Fe,  as  the  overland 
pulled  out  from  a  station  on  the  desert. 

The  man  addressed  paused  and  glanced  at  the 
speaker  with  a  perplexed  air,  which  quickly  gave 
place  to  a  look  of  pleased  recognition,  and  the  hand 
that  had  grasped  his  coat  sleeve  was  given  a  hearty 
shake. 

"Why,  Ernest  Wynn,  to  be  sure!  Where  did  you 
come  from?  It's  a  good  ten  years  since  we  were  in 
the  Burlington  office  together.  Still  pounding 
brass?" 

"No,  I  quit  the  road  about  five  years  ago.  I've 
been  traveling  about  and  doing  some  newspaper 
work.  And  you?" 

"Oh,  I'm  still  at  it."  He  dropped  comfortably 
into  the  seat  beside  his  old  friend.  "I've  been  tak 
ing  a  lay-off  and  came  out  here  to  look  after  some 
mining  property  in  which  my  wife  has  a  consider 
able  interest.  We  are  located  in  the  City  of  the 
Angels.  You  going  there?" 

"Yes,  or  to  that  section.  I  have  not  decided  yet 
just  where  to  settle.  You  know  I  always  wanted 


TIN-:  sou,  or  TIIK 

sunshine,  ami  now  I  have  c.mie  to  the  land  of 
sunshine  prepared  to  look  <>\er  llir  cniinti'y  ami  lo 
cate  somewhere." 

"Well,  you  can  find  almost  any  sort  of  place  you 
want  and  can  pay  for.  The  real  estate  boom  ha^ 
just  passed  the  top  notch  now  and  all  sorts  "I"  prop 
ert\  is  on  the  market.  Real  estate  dealers  are  almost 
as  thick  out  here  as  tleas  on  the  heacli — tho  they 
don't  bother  me  any." 

Ernest  \Vynn  smiled;  "Which,  the  dealers  or  the 
fleas?" 

"Neither.  I'm  not  speculating  to  any  extent  in 
real  estate,  and  I've  never  yet  lieen  touched  by  a 
flea  on  any  of  our  many  trips  to  the  beach.  They 
don't  seem  to  fancy  me.  lint.  say.  Ernest,  if  you  are 
thinking  of  ranching  in  a  small  way.  I  may  be  able 
to  help  yon  to  a  good  bargain.  It  is  a  place  belong- 
inir  to  a  friend  of  mine.  ;in  Englishman.  He  most 
unexpectedly  inherited  the  family  title  and  ftstfttefl 
a  few  weeks  ago.  and  has  irone  back  to  England  to 
live.  The  ranch  is  a  line  place." 

"Oh,  I'm  not  so  anxious-  |o  farm  as  1  used  to  be, 
tho  1  would  not  object  to  owning  a  small  ram-h,  if 
not  to.,  far  from  the  city.  One  that  could  be  made 
into  a  real  home,  you  know." 

••.Miirhty  few  people  seeni  to  care  for  real  homes. 
these  d;i\>."  observed  his  friend.  "They  have  not 

evolved  far  enouLrh  along  to  do  moi-e  than  scramble 
and  struggle  with  eadi  other  for  temporary  foot 
holds.  But  if  you  really  want  a  permanent  thing. 
my  frin.d's  plae,-  may  .just  suit  you.  It's  a  good 
•  MI  and  in  first  class  shape." 


COMING  TO  CALIFORNIA  11 

"I'll  be  glad  to  look  at  it,  but  I'm  in  no  hurry 
to  buy.  I  want  to  look  over  the  ground  first.  I've 
planned  to  stop  in  Pasadena,  and " 

"Oh,  interrupted  the  other,  "then  you  must  meet 
our  friend.  Miss  Harding" — His  tone  took  on  a  touch 
of  enthusiasm — "She  is  one  of  the  great  ones  of  this 
era.  Religions  fellow  as  you  are,  I'll  venture  that 
Glen  Harding  can  tell  you  a  lot  that  you  never 
dreamed  of — about  the  old  Bible  days." 

Grant  Norwood  had  not  noticed  the  quick  start 
that  his  companion  gave  at  the  mention  of  Miss 
Harding,  but  was  pleased  to  note  his  evident  in 
terest  in  the  subject,  and  continued: 

"You  see,  I  have  been  studying  the  Divine  Wis 
dom  the  past  five  years.  It  is  mighty  fine  and  ex 
plains  everything." 

"You  mean  theosophy?  I  have  looked  into  ;.t 
somewhat,  but  cannot  say  that  I  am  at  all  favorably 
impressed  by  its  claims." 

"Which  only  proves  that  you  have  not  gone  far 
enough  into  it,  Ernest,  to  understand  it,"  was  the 
prompt  retort.  "When  you  once  grasp  the  philos 
ophy  involved  in  reincarnation  and  karma — the 
basic  stones  of  the  system — and  see  how  it  explains 
all  the  seeming  problems  around  us ' 

"The  industrial  problem,  for  instance,"  inter 
jected  Ernest  Wynn. 

"Certainly.  You  would  be  convinced  of  that  if 
you  could  hear  Miss  Harding  talk  on  the  subject 
just  once.." 

"What  Miss  Harding?  Who  is  she?"  Ernest 
Wynn's  start  of  surprise  was  again  unnoticed  by  his 


11'  THK   snl'L   <>r  T1IK    \V(>KLD 


who  glanced  at  the  nearby  passengers 
and  then  bent  toward  his  friend.  ;is  he  replied,  in 
lowered  tones: 

"Glen  Harding  is  one  ol'  those  rare  beings  who 
know  that  iviiK-arnat  inn  is  a  i'a<-t  beeaiise  they  can 
remember  all  their  past  incarnations.  Of  course,  t" 
sin-h  there  can  be  no  question  about  it;  while  we 
who  have  not  yet  attained  to  those  far  heights  can 
at  least  see  the  force  of  such  evidence  and  be  sure 
that  we  are  on  the  right  road." 

Krnest  Wynn  had  turned  from  his  companion  and 
was  looking  out  over  the  wide  stretches  of  sand, 
sparsely  covered  with  sage  brush  and  cacti,  to  the 
desolate,  tumbled  hills  —  but  it  was  with  unseeing 
eyes.  A  wave  of  disappointment  and  disgust  surged 
thru  his  mind  and  formed  a  veil  that  hid  all  the 
outer  world  for  the  moment  from  his  thought.  Then 
his  brain  revolted  and  incredulity  took  the  place  of 
shocked  surprise.  He  turned  suddenly  : 

"Grant,  are  you  sure  that  Glen  Harding  actually 
believes  in  all  that  theosophical  nonsense?" 

Grant  Norwood  turned  on  his  questioner  a  .look 
of  tni  n  tried  indignation  and  tolerance.  The  tolerance 
triumphed,  and  he  smiled  as  he  answered  quietly: 
"Of  course  I  am.  Did  I  not  just  tell  you  that  she 
remembers?  Hut  what  do  you  know  of  Glen  Hard 
ing?" 

"I  have  had  some  correspondence  with  her  in  re 
lation  to  our  single  tax  work.  The  subject  of 
theosophy  was  not  mentioned." 

"Certainly  not!  How  could  you  expect  it?  Miss 
Ilardinir  would  never  write  or  talk  on  Divine  \Yis- 


COMING  TO  CALIFORNIA  13 

dom  to  one  with  such  an  antagonistic  spirit  as  you 
show!" 

"We'll  see  about  that  when  I  talk  with  her,"  re 
torted  his  friend.  "Miss  Harding 's  letters,  and  her 
papers  on  the  single  tax,  show  her  to  be  too  good  a 
worker  to  be  spared  from  the  great  movement  for 
human  freedom.  I  shall  not  let  her  go  without  an 
effort  to  win  her  from  such  a  delusion  as  theosophy 
seems  to  me." 

"Oh,  come  now,  Ernest,  you  don't  know  what  you 
are  undertaking.  Did  I  not  tell  you  she  is  One  who 
Knows !  She  will  convince  you  all  right,  if  you  give 
her  half  a  chance.  Better  not  ask  any  questions, 
tho,  they  have  no  place  in  the  Divine  Wisdom.  If 
you  are  able  to  receive  it  you  will  accept  it  without 
question.  If  you  cannot  do  that,  you  leave  it  until 
you  have  worked  out  that  karma  of  ignorance  and 
are  ready  for  higher  things.  But,  I  say,  old  man, 
don't  tell  Miss  Harding  I  said  anything  to  you  about 
her  memory  of  the  past.  She  might  not  like  it ;  but 
she's  so  glorious  when  she  gets  started  on  it  that  I 
could  not  help  telling  you,  only " 

"Don't  be  alarmed,"  broke  in  Ernest  Wynn,  dis 
gustedly.  "I  make  no  promise  as  to  questions,  but 
I  will  not  give  you  away,  so  rest  easy  on  that  score." 

Grant  Norwood  looked  relieved.  "You  always 
were  a  good  fellow,  Ernest,  and  you'll  come  around 
all  right." 

"Hardly!  If  you  expect  me  to  accept  such  stuff 
without  argument  or  evidence.  To  merely  repeat 
the  formulas  and  await  results ! ' ' 

His  friend  looked  serious.     "Try  that  plan,   Er- 


1 1  TIII-:  SOIL  <>r  TIIK  \VOKI, i> 

nest,   and   yon   will   be   led   mi    uradnally    higher  and 
higher." 

"That  is  the  way  to  propagate  dogmatism,  but  not 
the  truth.  The  truth  can  endure  the  fullest  experi 
ment,  research  and  argument." 

"Don't  worry  about  that,  Ernest!  It'  Miss  Hard 
ing  does  not  fetch  you.  Arthur  Tremont  will.  lie  ta 
the  linest  teacher  of  Hindu  occultism  I  know  any- 
thing  about,  and  a  royal  good  follow,  too,"  h> 
ended,  with  almost  a  show  of  enthusiasm. 

His  friend  smiled.  "I'll  certainly  have  i<>  read 
up  on  the  subject  pretty  th«>roly  if  that's  the  sort 
of  people  I'm  likely  in  run  into.  Is  this  'Fremont 
holding  forth  in  Los  Angeles?" 

"Yes,  he  has  classes  there,  and  I'll  g'm-  you  a 
note  to  him  if  you  like.  But  if  y<»u  stop  in  Pasa 
dena  first  you  are  pretty  sure  to  meet  him  at  Arr<>\ •<• 
N'ista — the  Dennison  place,  you  know.  He  is  there 
pretty  often  and  I  think" — here  Grant  Norwood 
leaned  toward  his  companion  and  lowered  his  voice — 
"it  is  going  to  be  a  match;  they  are  so  splendidly 
suited  to  each  other." 

"They?"     Ernest  Wyun  was  all  attention. 

The  olher  glanced  around  and  then  replied,  in  a 
tone  that  did  not  go  beyond  his  seat  mate's  ear:  "I 
mean  .Miss  Harding  and  Tremont.  There  is  no  doubt 
about  his  desires.  Anybody  <-an  see  that  he  is  in 
l«.ve  with  her.  for  all  his  palm,  quiet  ways." 

Ernest  Wynn  had  apparently  become  absorbed  in 
viewing  some   nbjr.-t    m   the   rapidly   Changing 
BCape    visible    from    the    car    window,    and    his 

j'aib-d   to  n<«te  the  irlint    in   his  blue  eyes  and 


(  o.MIXC   TO  ('ALIKORNJA  15 

the  sudden  compression  of  his  lips,  which  marked  a 
firm  determination  of  some  sort.  He  turned  again 
with  the  question— 

"How  about  Miss  Harding?" 

"I  don't  know.  I  am  sure  Tremont  is  just  the 
sort  of  man  she  ought  to  marry;  but  she  bewilders 
me  sometimes  and  I  cannot  understand  her;  yet 
she  is  surely  too  sensible — she  must  be  too  sensible 
— to  throw  herself  away  on  the  Jap." 

"A  Japanese?  Good  Lord!  Grant,  what  are  you 
talking  about?" 

"About  an  oriental  who  is  after  Miss  Harding. 
He  is  some  sort  of  Japanese  official,  over  here  to 
investigate  our  ways  and  learn  things.  He  came 
over  last  year  with  a  lot  of  other  functionaries,  and 
there  was  a  big  reception  and  dinner  for  them  in 
Los  Angeles.  Dennison  presided  at  the  latter,  it's 
his  element.  Motora  went  on  east  with  the  rest,  but 
soon  came  back  and  appears  to  have  settled  down 
to  study  among  us — witli  Miss  Harding  as  his 
teacher." 

"And  you  don't  like  that?" 

"Not  a  little  bit!  Motora 's  too  attractive  in  some 
ways,  and  I  want  Miss  Harding  for  Tremont."  His 
face  took  on  a  dreamy  look.  "Such  a  Teacher  and 
such  an  Adept!  It  is  karma;  nothing  could  be 

better  for  the  great  cause 1  say,  Ernest ;"  his  tone 

suddenly  changed,  "when  you  are  there  won't  you 
help  me  head  off  that  Japanese?" 

"Certainly,  Grant,  certainly.  You  can  count  on 
me  for  all  the  help  I  can  give  you  in  that  line." 

The    intense    heartiness    with    which    those    words 


i«;  TIM-:  son.  <.r  TIII-:  \V<>KLI> 

\\elV     Uttered     Was     nnt      lost     (Ml     <lrailt      Norwood,     aild 

he  looked  sharply  at  his  < •••mpanion.  but  the  gaze 
that  met  his  held  in  it  only  friendly  interest  and 
abundant  resolution,  and  he  went  on:  "When  you 
i  IHMII  toother,  Ernest,  you  will  n-ali/e  that  it 
is  their  karma  to  pass  this  life  as  husband  and  wife. 
Working  together  in  that  way  they  caii  spread  a 
marvelous  light.  It  cannot  be  otherwise." 

4 'Oh,  well,  if  you  are  so  sure  about  their  karma, 
why  worry  over  the  Japanese?  By  the  way,  Grant, 
you  have  not  told  me  how  you  come  to  be  so  well 
acquainted  with  Miss  Harding  and  her  affairs." 

"Haven't  I?  Why,  Daisy,  that's  my  wife,  and 
Mrs.  Dennison,  Miss  Harding's  sister,  you  know, 
were  great  chums  from  childhood  up.  They  lived 
close  together  for  years,  till  Mrs.  Dennison  married 
and  eame  out  here.  Later  she  had  Daisy  make  he- 
a  long  visit.  I  first  met  Daisy  while  she  was  visit 'NIL; 
friends  at  Kewanee  on  her  way  home  from 
that  trip.  About  a  year  later  we  were  mar 
ried  and  nothing  would  suit  Daisy  but  Cali 
fornia.  Dennison  helped  me  get  a  job  on  tin- 
Santa  Fe  and  I've  held  it  down  ever  since. 
Mrs.  Dennison  is  a  tlioroly  charming  woman  and  the 
big  gulf  between  the  size  of  my  income  and  Denni- 
NOII'S  does  not  make  a  particle  of  difference  in  her. 
She  and  Daisy  are  as  <:ood  chums  as  ever;  and  so. 
when  Mrs.  Dennison  %s  sister  came  out  here  about 
three  years  ago,  we  soon  became  well  acquainted. 
Daisy  had  known  Miss  Harding  slightly  back  east — 
the  sisters  were  not  brought  up  together,  being  or 
phans  Maybe  that's  one  reason  Mrs.  Dennison 


COMING  TO  CALIFORNIA  17 

so  strongly  about  orphans — I  had  not  thought  of 
that  before.  She  goes  in  for  charity,  especially  the 
Children's  Aid  Societies,  playground  movements, 
and  such  things." 

"I'll  make  a  note  of  that,"  said  Ernest  Wynn, 
"and  may  get  her  interested  in  the  truth  I  hav»3 
found,  thru  her  concern  for  the  children.  I  like  the 
little  things  a  lot  myself." 

"She  will  talk  about  the  children,  no  end,  but 
you  cannot  get  her  to  listen  to  the  single  tax.  Why, 
Ernest,  neither  Daisy  nor  Mrs.  Dennison  takes  any 
interest  in  the  Divine  Wisdom  and  they  will  not 
even  try  to  understand  cosmic  justice." 

"Sensible  women!  I  shall  like  to  meet  them," 
ejaculated  Ernest  Wynn. 

"You  don't  understand,  Ernest,  but  I  can  tell  you 
it  is  a  real  comfort  to  me  to  talk  to  one  who  appre 
ciates  the  wise  things  of  old  as  Miss  Harding  does." 

"Doubtless!  But  don't  you  ever  talk  anything 
else?  You  used  to  be  interested  in  the  single  tax. 
Grant;  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  Miss  Harding  was 
once  an  enthusiastic  worker  in  the  Henry  George 
movement. ' ' 

His  friend  smiled  tolerantly.  "That's  all  right, 
Ernest,  and  I  am  as  much  of  a  single  taxer  as  ever ; 
and  so  is  Miss  Harding,  when  there  is  anything 
doing  in  that  line.  We  had  the  national  single  tax 
lecturer  out  here  last  fall,  and  Miss  Harding  and 
Dennison  worked  like  anything  to  help  get  out  a 
crowd,  and  I  did  what  I  could." 

"What  came  of  it?" 


i*  THK  8OUL  «'i   TIII-;  \\<>KLI> 

"Oli.  ;i  pretty  fair  1iirn<Mit.  ;i!ul  several  good 
notices  in  the  papers." 

"I  don't  mean  that.  Did  it  add  any  members  t  - 
the  Single  Tax  Club?  I  hope  yon  havr  a  live  Club, 
for  I  have  something  to  say  to  them  myself.  I 
have  found  something " 

"]  have  not  heard  anything  oi'  the  Clul)  lately." 
interrupted  his  friend,  "better  talk  to  Dcnni.son 
about  that.  lie's  president,  op  \\  as.  of  the  Club. 
Don't  bother  Miss  Harding  ;iboiit  tlie  single  tax, 
Ernest." 

A  smile  dickered  for  a  moment  about  Krn<>' 
\Vynn 's  eyes.  "Don't  worry  about  that,  (Irani." 
Then  his  tone  beeame  serious,  tho  eager:  "But  I 
want  to  tell  you,  (Irani.  I'm  sure  I  have  found  a 
way  by  which  the  whole  social  problem  can  be  set 
tled  and  real  freedom  secured,  within  a  very  few 
y«-ars — it  is  only  a  <|iiestion  now  of  getting  enough 
people  to  see  it  to  tell  it  to  the  rest." 

"Tlierc  was  no  answering  light  in  the  face  of  the 
man  beside  him.  "Better  not  be  in  such  a  hurry, 
Kni'-xt.  but  learn  patience  thru  the  Divine  Wisdom. 
Von  will  see  the  useh-ssness  of  all  siidi  struggling 
when  you  ivali/.e  that  we  can  each  work  out  in  this 
particular  life  only  the  karma  laid  down  for  it.  It 
is  all  planned  out  for  us  by  the  Lords  of  Karma; 
and  that  makes  it  so  much  more  nee.-ssary  to  attain 
to  a  higher  plaee  that  I  am  not  inclined  to  divert 
Miss  Hardini:  from  that  pursuit  by  discussing  the 
sordid  things  around  us  today.  1  hope  you  will  not 
try  tn  take  her  mind  from  those  higher  things  on 
which  she  is  now  .•niraucd.  The  last  few  months 


COMJNG   TO  CALIFORNIA  19 

she  has  been  busy  over  such  a  revelation  of  the  past 
as  you  never  dreamed  of.  It  is  perfectly  fascinating 
to  hear  her  tell  of  those  far  away  ages  of  time. 
Just  set  her  going,  Ernest,  only  be  careful,  you 
know,  and  see  for  yourself.  You  will  be  convinced 
of  the  truth  of  every  word  she  says.  She  and  Tre- 
mont,  working1  together,  will  be  a  tremendous  force 
in  getting  the  Divine  Wisdom  into  its  rightful  place 
in  this  western  world." 

There,  was,  a  look  of  serious  determination  in  Er 
nest  Wynn's  face,  and  his  thoughtful  eyes  showed  a 
touch  of  perplexity,  as  he  said:  "Miss  Harding  is 
certainly  a  born  propagandist,  and  whether  she  will 
throw  aAvay  that  power  on  metaphysics  remains  to 
be  seen.  I  tell  you,  Grant,  a  year  ago  she  under 
stood  the  land  question  better  than  any  other  woman, 
and  as  well  as  any  man  in  the  single  tax  move 
ment — she  fully  grasped  its  importance — and  I  can 
not  understand  how  she  came  to  be  diverted  from  it 
into  theosophy." 

Again  his  companion  smiled,  with  the  quiet  toler 
ance  of  the  pledged  theosophist.  "Don't  get  ex 
cited  over  it,  Ernest.  She  is  as  much  a  single  taxer 
as  ever,  I  have  no  doubt,  just  as  I  am  myself.  As 
for  her  knowledge  of  the  Divine  Wisdom  and  mem 
ory  of  the  past,  I  don't  know  just  when  or  how  she 
attained  to  it  all.  WTe  lesser  ones  cannot  see  the 
heights  until  we,  too,  arrive.  I  know  that  she  has 
been  studying  with  an  old  professor  for  a  long  time. 
I  have  met  him,  but  had  no  talk  with  him.  He  is 
not  a  member  of  our  society  and  it  is  only  since  Tre- 
mont  has  become  so  interested  in  her  that  I  have 


L-"  TIIK  s<>ri.  OF  TNI:  \\<>KLI> 

had  hopes  <>f  gutting  Miss  Harding  into  prominence 
an  active  \\ork.-r  in  (he  great  cause.  You  see, 
Krnest.  Dennison  and  his  wife  are  the  strictest  sort 
<»t'  orthodox  Presbyterians,  and  of  course  iheir  in 
fluence  counts;  1ml  .Miss  Harding  has  attended  some 
«>!'  Tremont's  classes  and  now  I  feel  pretty  sure  of 
the  result — if  only  he  can  get  ahead  of  that  Japanese. 
Von  will  help  me  in  that,  Ernest?"  His  ?oiee  was 
almost  pleading.  "You  cannot  have  any  interest  in 
seeing  her  go  off  to  Japan?" 

"Of  course  not,"  was  the  prompt  response.  "1 
will  help  you — if  I  can — to  keep  Miss  Harding  in 
this  country.  But,  Grant,  how  long  have  Tremont 
and  this  Japanese — what  did  you  cull  him? — been 
in  the  field?" 

"Inazo  Motora!  He  has  been  back  here  about 
three  months.  It  is  something  over  a  year  since 
Tremont  came  to  Los  Angeles,  but  he  did  not  meet 
.Miss  Harding  until  a  couple  of  months  ago,  when 
she  addressed  a  meeting  at  our  Club  rooms.  The 
talk  she  gave  us  that  night  was  wonderful  in  its 
vivid  picturing  of  the  far  away  past.  I  have  her 
promise  to  give  us  another  such  treat  soon.  Why, 
Ernest,  she  remembers  things  belonging  to  thousands 
of  years  ago  as  easily  and  clearly  as  you  or  I  can 
[•••member  what  happened  last  week!" 

"And  you  believe  all  that?"  There  was  some 
pity  mingled  with  incredulity  in  the  look  Ernest 
\Vynn  turned  on  his  old  friend. 

"I  have  not  a  doubt  of  it,"  was  the  emphatic  re- 
NjM.nse.  "Test  her  yourself  the  first  chance  you 
have  and  yon  will  be  convinced.  Don't  mention  me 


COMING   TO  CALIFORNIA  21 

or  head  her  off  by  talking  against  reincarnation  or 
memory,  but  just  lead  her  on  to  talk  of  the  past,  the 
beginning  of  things,  and  judge  for  yourself.  When 
you  see  them  together  you  will  agree  with  me  that  a 
match  between  Miss  Harding  and  Arthur  Tremont 
will  be  a  fine  thing.  She  must  not  go  to  Japan." 

"No  indeed,  she  must  not,"  agreed  Ernest  Wynn. 
"Now,  Grant,"  he  turned  back  to  the  car  window, 
"do  look  out  and  tell  me  something  about  these 
places  we  are  coming  to.  It  looks  as  tho  we  were 
entering  paradise !  There  is  such  a  riotous  abun 
dance  of  bloom  and  color!" 

"Isn't  it  gorgeous!"  assented  his  friend.  "You 
struck  us  at  the  right  time  to  see  our  very  finest 
clothes — tho  they  are  all  good.  An  extra  lot  of  rain 
the  past  season  has  brought  out  all  the  possible 
greens  on.  the  mountains  and  this  wealth  of  flowers 
on  the  foothills  and  in  the  valleys." 


rllAITKK  2 


FACING  T11K  SITUATION. 

Krnest  \Yynn  had  plenty  to  think  about  the  next 
morning,  as  he  sal  in  a  plainly  furnished  bedroom 
in  one  of  Pasadena's  innumerable  rooming  house- 
A  little  pile  of  open  letters  were  spread  out  before 
him  on  a  small  stand,  beside  the  open  window  at 
which  he  sat.  What  if  he  did  almost  know  those 
letters  by  heart — they  would  bear  another  reading. 
His  face  wore  a  look  of  thoughtful  study  as  he  took 
up  the  letters,  one  by  one,  and  slowly  reread  them. 
Anyone  looking  over  his  shoulder  would  have  seen 
the  clearly  written  signature.  ''Glen  Harding,"  at 
the  end  of  each.  As  he  read  Krnest  Wynn's  ex$refl 
sion  became  brighter  and  more  hopeful. 

What  did  those  letters  tell  him?  As  he  laid  them 
down,  one  by  one.  tin-re  rose  in  his  mind  the  vision 
of  a  nature  childlike  in  its  open  truthfulness,  \et 
womanlike  in  its  strength  of  devotion  to  a  great 
cause;  a  mind  broadening,  deepening,  expanding  in 
its  outlook  and  outreach  for  knowledge,  for  the 
great  truths  on  which  life  a  life  worth  living-  must 
be  built  up. 

Surely,  he  thought,  a  woman  who  wrote  in  that 
earnest,  clearheaded  way  about  the  single  tax  and 
its  propaganda  could  not  be  a  believer  in  the  non 
sense  of  reincarnation  or  "Divine  Wisdom."  as  these 
were  tanirht  by  such  adherents  of  the  faith  as  he 


I \\CJNG  THE  SITUATION  23 

had  chanced  to  meet.  He  recalled  various  articles 
by  Glen  Harding,  that  he  had  read  from  time  to  time 
in  magazines  and  single  tax  papers,  and  he  could 
remember  nothing  in  any  of  them  which  agreed  with 
the  sort  of  irrational  thinker  and  dreamy  visionary 
Grant  Norwood  had  made  her  out  to  be. 

He  thought  of  the  women  he  had  met — and  they 
were  many,  for  his  work  during  the  last  five  years 
had  taken  him  into  many  homes  in  several  States. 
Yet  among  them  all  there  was  not  one  who  had 
appealed  to  him  as  the  woman  in  these  letters  did. 
Yes,  she  had  written  herself  into  them.  She  seemed 
to  have  no  idea  of  self-sacrifice  and  yet  she  appeared 
never  to  be  thinking  of  herself.  It  did  not  seem  to 
be  anything  like  the  so-called  sacrifice  of  self  for 
the  supposed  good  of  others. 

Then  a  newT  idea* dawned  on  him.  Was  it  possible 
that  Glen  Harding  had  such  a  complete  conception 
of  the  necessity  for  unity  of  action  in  securing  and 
maintaining  equal  freedom,  that  she  so  thoroly  iden 
tified  her  interests  with  the  universal  interest  as  to 
make  that  seem  dominant  for  the  time  and  gave  this 
effect  of  thinking  always  of  others? 

His  eyes  brightened  at  the  thought.  If  she  could 
realize  that,  she  would  understand  his  new  message. 
He  would  question  her  and  learn  her  views  before 
telling  it.  He  must  write  it  out  more  fully. 

He  took  up  again  the  last  letter,  and  reread  a 
portion — an  outline  for  propaganda.  What  better 
working  plan  could  they  hope  for?  It  was  simple, 
practical  and  economical.  Behind  it  there  seemed 
to  burn  ;in  enthusiasm  quite  equal  to  his  own. 


IM  TIII:  son.  MK  TUI:  WORLD 

Yet  (irant  Norwood  had  told  him  this  woman  be 
lieved  in  theosophy — was  even  possessed  by  a 
strange  delusion — it  did  not  seem  possible.  But  he 
had  already  met  so  many  unexpected  mental  states 
among  single  taxers  that  it  was  wise,  at  least,  to  be 
prepared  for  another.  He  looked  at  the  last  letter; 
it  bore  a  date  eight  months  before.  He  had  not 
reali/ed  how  lon<:  the  time  had  hern.  .Much  could 
happen  in  eight  months  to  change  (ilen  Harding — 
it'  she  could  be  changed  in  sueh  a  way:  As  he  re 
called  the  talk  of  the  night  before,  he  remembered 
that  both  the  Japanese  and  the  teacher  of  occultism 
had  come  actively  into  (ilen  Harding's  life  in  that 
time. 

Well — the  slight  form  straightened  in  an  involun 
tary  movement,  as  a  look  of  determination  came  into 
the  blue  eyes  and  showed  in  the  firm  line  of  the  lips, 
unshaded  by  the  slight  mustache — he  would  be  an 
active  factor  in  (ilen  Harding's  life  for  awhile  him- 
s.-lf  -and  abide  by  the  results. 

He  refolded  the  letters  at  last  and  tied  them  in  a 
neat  packet,  which  he  placed  carefully  in  an  inner 
compartment  of  his  suit  case.  This  done,  he  went 
to  the  window  and  looked  out  looked  out  on  the 
trlory  of  a  perfect  spring  mornin«r  in  Southern  Cali 
fornia.  The  sky  overhead  was  cloudless;  the  grass 
and  flower*  and  trees  were  sll'l  drenched  with  the 
moisture  of  the  early  fog,  now  rolling  away  al»mur 
the  foothills  and  up  the  mountain  sides.  His  room 
\\as  in  the  real-  of  a  house  on  the  eastern  rise  of 
what  seemed  like  a  wide,  irregular  depression,  in 
which  the  heart  of  the  ,-ity  its  places  of  exchange— 


*&/ 

FACING  THE  SITUATION  25 

was  situated.  There,  spread  out  below  him,  was  all 
the  tawdry  jumble  of  backyards,  railways,  lumber 
piles,  tall  buildings  and  one  story  blocks,  sheds  and 
rubbish,  and  all  the  other  chaotic  elements  which 
marked  the  business  portion  of  the  city.  Looking 
beyond  this  he  saw,  on  the  western  rise,  many  trees, 
and  among  them  caught  glimpses  of  stately  homes 
and  beautiful  gardens.  It  seemed  like  a  peep  into  a 
fairy  land  of  beauty  as  compared  with  the  unkempt 
ugliness  immediate^  below  him. 

Somewhere  over  there — for  he  had  already  locat 
ed  her  address  on  the  city  map — was  the  home  of 
Glen  Harding;  and  Ernest  Wynn  felt  that  he  must 
face  the  situation  squarely  and  think  it  out  as 
clearly  as  might  be  before  he  tried  to  see  her. 

To  begin  with,  he  frankly  admitted  to  himself  that 
his  main  object  in  coming  to  California  was  to  be 
come  better  acquainted  with  Glen  Harding,  and — 
if  she  proved  to  be  the  sort  of  woman  her  letters 
appeared  to  show — to  win  her  for  his  life  companion, 
his  wife.  In  all  the  range  of  a  rather  wide  acquaint 
ance  he  had  never  come  in  contact  with  any  woman 
who  had  inspired  in  him  such  a  hope  of  true  com 
radeship  as  he  had  felt  when  reading  Glen  Hard- 
ing's  letters  and  articles.  If  they  fairly  expressed 
her  real  thoughts  and  desires — and  he  could  not 
doubt  it  as  he  now  recalled  the  thoughts  just  read, 
and  felt  the  earnest,  burning  zeal  they  showed — then 
such  a  lifemate  was  well  worth  striving  for.  How 
they  could  study  and  work  together ! 

He  had  not  expected  to  find  her  a  member  of  a 
wealthy  family,  for  she  had  mentioned,  in  connec- 


TIIK  son.  or  TIN-:  \v<>m.i> 

tion  with  propaganda  plans,  that  she  was  self-sup 
porting  and  had  a  very  limited  income.  That  was 
probably  still  true.  Now  In-  thought  of  it,  (irant 
had  said  it  was  (Jim  Hardmir's  brot  her-in-law  wlm 
was  wealthy:  and  president  of  the  Single  Tax  Club — 
that  was  an  item  worth  knowing.  II'  he  could  get  a 
wealthy  single  taxer  to  sec  the  new  light  that  had 
'•nine  tn  him.  and  interest  him  in  the  propaganda 
plans  Glen  Harding  had  suirirested  for  the  sin.irh- 
tax — success  was  sure. 

He  must  try  to  get  thoroly  acquainted  with  this 
man.  Dennis. m.  and  grt  him  to  see  the  truth  he  had 
found.  By  preparing  the  ground  carefully  and  lead 
ing  up  to  the  subject  so  as  to  bring  it  out  most 
clearly  and  forcibly  he  might  get  a  hearing  without 
encountering  the  rebuffs  he  had  already  met  with 
from  some  siuirlc  taxers.  He  felt  sure  of  the  results 
if  he  could  secure  a  fair  hearing  and  an  unprejudiced 
study  of  the  find  he  had  made.  A  single  taxer,  or 
any  other  person,  with  means  to  carry  on  the  work, 
who  once  saw  the  new  liirht  that  had  dawned  on  his 
own  mind,  would  be  a  power  for  irood  in  the  world. 

He  must  l»e  careful,  he  felt,  and  grt  both  Miss 
llardiiiLT  and  her  bmt  her-in-la w  to  irrow  towards 
the  light  as  he  had  done.  Then  they  were  sure  to 
work-  for  it.  In  the  meantime  he  would  carry  out 
his  resi.lut  inn  to  write  out  the  whole  idea  more 
fully  than  he  had  yet  done. 

Then  his  thoughts  reverted  to  (Jleii  Harding.  He 
knew  that  she  had  been  a  public  school  teacher  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  had  assumed  that  she  was  now 
a  t.-adier  in  California.  To  lie  SUIT,  she  had 


PAGING   THE  SITUATION  27 

not  mentioned  the  nature  of  her  work  since  coming 
west,  and  he  had  given  that  matter  little  thought. 
Now  the  idea  struck  him  with  a  sudden  chill.  Could 
she  have  become  one  of  those  self-deluded  teachers 
of  the  "New  Thought"  school,  in  which  Eastern 
and  Western  mysticism  was  mixed  in  an  indescrib 
able  tangle  of  vague  beliefs  and  catch  phrases?  No, 
that  simply  could  not  be ! 

That  Glen  Harding  might  have  other  lovers  had 
occurred  to  him  as  likely  enough,  and  for  that  he 
was  prepared.  But  he  had  never  dreamed  of  find 
ing  his  own  one-time  most  intimate  friend  engaged 
in  trying  to  have  her  marry  a  teacher  of  oriental 
occultism,  and  claiming  that  Glen  Harding  was  her 
self  a  high-up  Adept  in  the  mysteries  of  the  ancient 
Hindu  faiths.  That  any  one  believing  in  a  cult 
whose  teachers  allowed  no  questions  from  pupils 
and  whose  adherents  refused  to  argue  on  matters  of 
vital  importance,  could  enter  as  heartily  as  Glen 
Harding  had  done  into  plans  for  a  propaganda 
wrhich  necessitated  constant  discussion,  seemed  pre 
posterous,  absurd!  It  was  so  contradictory  that  he 
could  not  believe  it. 

But,  hold,  he  had  not  heard  from  her  during  all 
those  months,  and  this  belief  in  reincarnation  and 
her  supposed  memory  of  the  past — for  he  could  not 
make  himself  regard  it  as  a  fact — might  be  a  recent 
development  due  to  her  acquaintance  with  that  Tre- 
mont  and  the  oriental.  He  felt  that  this  idea  did 
not  fit  in  with  his  own  conception  of  her  character, 
but  perhaps  it  might  be  possible  for  even  such  a 


i.'s  TI1K  SOUr,  OF  THE   WORLD 

bright  woman  as  Glen  Harding  to  be  temporarily 
deluded. 

Now  he  thought  of  it,  was  not  Grant  Norwood  a 
striking  example  of  the  embodiment  of  contradictory 
beliefs?  This  old  friend  was  thoroly  sincere.  1  It- 
could  not  doubt  that  for  a  moment.  He  recalls. i 
their  years  of  daily  companionship,  and  smiled  as  he 
remembered  how  that  constant  association  and  their 
very  striking  difference  in  height  had1  led  office  and 
trainmen  to  dub  them  "the  long  and  the  short  of  it." 

No,  whatever  mystery  there  might  be  about  Glen 
Harding 's  beliefs,  Grant  had  not  intentionally  de 
ceived  him. 

How  should  he  treat  those  beliefs?  He  felt  like 
going  straight  to  her  and  asking  direct  questions. 
But  would  that  be  wise  ?  Would  it  not  be  better,  at 
least  until  he  had  met  those  other  men  and  could 
judge  something  of  their  influence  with  her,  to  avoid 
all  mention  of  theosophy  and  kindred  topics,  and  put 
all  his  energy  into  an  effort  to  arouse  in  Glen  Hard 
ing  the  old  enthusiasm  for  the  greatest  of  all 
causes — the  speedy  attainment  of  human  freedom 
thru  the  settlement  of  the  land  question?  Assured 
ly,  that  was  the  better  plan,  for  when  her  whole 
mind  was  given  to  plans  and  work-  for  equal  free 
dom,  all  delusions  into  which  she  might  have  fallen 
would  necessarily  fade  away,  and  disappear — just 
as  the  fog  he  had  been  watching  for  sometime  had 
•vanished  before  the  rays  of  the  morning  sunlight 
that  now  brightened  the  western  hills  and  flooded 
the  city  with  warmth. 

He  was  glad  Grant  had  told  him  about  Tremont 


FACING  THE  SITUATION  29 

and  the  Japanese.  Knowing  these  details  of  the 
difficulties  before  him  made  it  possible  for  him  to 
start  in  thoroly  prepared  to  meet  them.  Whatever 
sort  of  men  they  might  turn  out  to  be,  he  felt  that, 
in  order  to  win,  he  must  make  himself  more  suit 
able — in  personality  and  character — than  either  of 
them  could  be  for  this  particular  woman,  else  there 
could  be  no  success  for  him. 

Ernest  Wynn  felt  that  his  wife  must  not  be  a 
mere  echo  of  himself,  nor  yet  a  beautiful  plaything. 
Even  a  thrifty  housekeeper — merely  as  such — had 
no  charms  for  him.  His  wife  must  be  a  friend,  com 
panion,  comrade,  and  withal,  one  not  afraid  to  argue 
with  him  on  any  subject  that  might  come  up,  looking 
at  all  things  from  her  own  individual  viewpoint. 
Glen  Harding 's  letters  and  articles  had  appeared  to 
show  her  as  eminently  capable  of  all  this — and 
more  !  With  such  a  woman  as  his  wife,  Ernest  Wynn 
felt  they  wrould  be  real  lifemates,  working  and 
studying  and  making  a  true  home  together. 

Then  there  was  the  all-important  question  of  suc 
cessful  work  for  equal  freedom — the  highest  free 
dom  possible  for  human  beings.  Since  Henry 
George  had  pointed  out  the  way  and  inspired  him 
to  take  up  the  work,  the  one  great  desire  of  his 
whole  being  had  been  the  securing  of  freedom — 
equal  freedom  for  all  people.  Ernest  Wynn  admit 
ted  to  himself  that — until  it  was  gained — this  was 
the  chief  object  of  his  life.  In  this  work  he  had 
felt  sure  that  he  could  find  no  better  helper  than 
such  a  lifemate  as  he  believed  Glen  Harding  would 
be,  if  he  could  win  her.  She  was  still  doing  single 


:;o  Tin:  SOUL  <»r  TIM: 

i;i\  work.  He  remembered  that  Grant  had  spoken 
of  her  active  interest  in  the  lecture  effort.  He 
recalled  hopefully  the  fact  that  it  was  thru  their 
mutual  iiitrivsi  in  single  tax  propaganda  that  they 
had  become  acquainted;  and  it  was  that  work  on 
which  their  correspondence  had  centered. 

The  longer  he  thought  about  it  the  more  deter 
mined  Kruesl  \Vynn  became  that,  whatever  obstacles 
he  might  have  to  overcome,  he  would  win  the  nbjeel 
for  which  he  had  come  to  California. 

He  looked  across  the  city  again  and  wondered 
which  of  those  trees  might  shade  her  home.  And 
how  did  she  look  .'  He  remembered  now  that  he  had 
not  tin-  remotest  notion  as  to  her  personal  appear 
ance. 

Well,  he  would  see  her  that  afternoon — perhaps 
she  already  had  the  note  he  had  sent  her  the  night 
before — and  learn  if  there  was  any  real  ground  on 
which  to  base  his  hopes.  In  the  meantime  he  might 
as  well  LTO  out  and  see  something  of  the  city  that  was 
famed  as  one  of  the  ati  ract  i«ms  in  the  "Garden  of 
the  World." 

lie  closed  and  locked  his  suitcase,  remembering 
the  precious  packet  it  contained,  then  picked  up  his 
hat  and  went  nut  into  the  bright  spring  sunshine. 

lie,  spent  the  remaining  hours  of  the  morning  in 
wandering  about  the  eastern  section  of  the  city, 
notiuLT  the  beauty  and  luxuriance  of  the  many 
wardens:  but  letting,  fcOO,  how  the  overcrowding  of 
houses  and  the  ama/inir  frequency  of  "For  Sale" 
and  "For  Rent"  siirns  tended  to  destroy  the  effect 


FACING  THE  SITUATION  31 

that  had  once  caused  Pasadena  to  be  called  "the 
city  of  homes." 

As  he  passed  along  a  street  bordered,  for  the  most 
part,  with  rather  large  new  houses  having  a  well- 
to-do  air,  and  fronted  by  freshly  made  and  neatly 
kept  flower  beds,  he  paused  before  a  vacant  lot  in 
their  midst — a  lot  given  over  to  a  rank  growth  of 
weeds  and  two  or  three  forlorn  looking  fruit  trees 
that  might  once  have  formed  part  of  an  orchard — 
and  had  sufficient  curiosity  to  read  and  count  the 
sign  boards  set  in  an  irregular  row  along  its  sixty- 
five  feet  or  so  of  frontage.  Sixteen  different  real 
estate  firms  were  represented  on  the  ugly  wooden 
posts,  and  Ernest  Wynn  turned  away  marveling  at 
the  long  blindness  of  presumably  intelligent  human 
beings. 


U1A1TKK   :{. 

<;U-;.\  HAK'DINC. 

"Anything  f«»r  me,  Will?"  Glen  Harding  pu!  the 
<|iit-st  inn.  mi  that  cloudless  spring  morning,  as  she 
stepped  out  onto  the  wide,  long,  upstairs  pergola, 
where  her  brother-in-law  sat  at  a  broad  table,  sort 
ing  a  pile  of  letters  and  papers  a  maid  had  JIIM 
placed  before  him. 

The  pergola  was  already  wanned  by  the  morning 
sunshine  that  flooded  it  thru  its  open  eastern  end. 
where  the  vines  were  allowed  to  twine  around  the 
light  colored  pillars  and  catch  at  the  white  cross 
beams  overhead;  but  no  wandering  tendrils  might 
riot  in  the  way  of  the  early  morning  sunshine. 

Will  Dennison  looked  up,  smiling.  "Yes,  Glen, 
most  of  them  seem  to  be  for  you,"  and  he  pushed 
a  pile  of  papers  and  several  letters  across  the  table. 
"Here's  a  letter  Birdie  will  be  glad  to  get,"  he 
added  ;i  moment  later,  "when-  is  she?" 

"At  the  phone,  ordering  some  things  for  this 
afternoon.  A  few  of  the  young  folks  are  to  be  here 
for  an  informal  afternoon  tea.  in  honor  of  Daisy 
Norwood's  sister.  Here  eomes  liirdie.  already!"  as 
a  very  pretty  woman  appeared  in  the  doorway. 
She  was  leading  a  plump  little  toddler,  and  two 
older  children  followed  her  out.  They  took  the 
little  one  and  went  at  once  to  the  eastern  end  of 
the  pej-LTola.  where  a  low  railing  marked  oil*  their 


GLEN  HARDING  33 

special  domain — well  protected  on  its  outer  edges. 

"Oh,  Birdie,"  her  sister  suddenly  exclaimed, 
looking  up  from  a  long  letter  in  which  she  had  been 
absorbed  for  some  time,  "Helen  Osmond  is  going 
out  to  Japan  in  a  few  weeks.  Her  husband  has  an 
important  position  in  the  new  university,  and  she  is 
going  to  stay — to  live  over  there." 

"We  must  have  her  here  to  visit  you  first,  Glen," 
was  the  prompt  and  cordial  comment  from  Mrs. 
Dennison.  "Find  out  just  when  she  expects  to  sail 
and  have  her  plan  to  stop  here  as  long  as  she  can, 
on  the  way.  She  will  like  to  meet  Mr.  Motora,  too. 
You  remember  he  said  the  other  day  that  he  and  Mr. 
Fujita  had  known  each  other  for  years  but  that  he 
had  not  seen  his  friend's  wife,  as  she  was  away  from 
home  when  he  visited  Washington  last  winter." 

"Yes,  and  thank  you  so  much,  Birdie.  I'm  sure 
you  will  all  like  Helen.  I'll  write  her  at  once.  It 
will  be  splendid  to  have  her  here.  It  does  not  seem 
possible  that  I  have  not  seen  her  since  her  wedding 
day,  and  now  she  has  a  child  about  Carol's  age," 
and  she  glanced  at  the  youngest  of  the  group  now 
absorbed  in  their  play. 

"The  children  will  enjoy  having  a  little  guest," 
said  their  mother.  "Tell  Mrs.  Fujita  we  will  all  be 
glad  to  see  her,  and  to  be  sure  to  give  you  all  the 
time  she  can." 

"Will,  here  is  something  to  interest  you,"  said 
Glen  Harding  a  little  later,  as  she  held  out  an  open 
note.  "You  remember,  Birdie," — she  turned  to 
ward  her  sister — "that  I  told  you  about  Ernest 
Wynn,  the  single  taxer  with  whom  I  had  some  cor- 


Tin:  SOUL  OF  TIM-:  \V«H;LI» 

a  .U.M..I  while  ago,  about  tin-  ehanee  of 
organi/ing  a  national  propaganda  .'  He  is  in  town 
and  will  call  here  this  afternoon." 

.Mi-s.  Dennison  smile, 1  indulgent  ly.  "Of  GOWTB6  he 
will  IK-  weleome.  hut  you  and  Will  must  eniert  am 
him  if  you  cxped  i<>  diseuss  single  tax." 

"Now,  that's  ton  had!  That  :1  should  be  just 
this  afternoon, "  exclaimed  Will  Dennison.  "Here  is 
a  letter  that  makes  it  neeessary  for  me  to  go  to 
Ivong  Beach  this  morning,  and  I  may  not  lie  able, 
to  get  back  before  night.  I'm  determined  to  sell 
our  property  there  before  the  hot  torn  drops  out  of 
the  boom,  and  this  looks  like  a  good  ehanee.  for  it's 
a  company  thinking  of  putting  in  a  factory.  Hut 
(ilen  can  take  care  of  Wynn  today  and  I'll  see  him 
later.  It  is  not  likely  he  will  go  right  on"  again." 

"I  think  not,"  replied  his  sister-in-law.  "I  iv- 
member  he  on<-e  expressed  a  desire  to  come  to  Cali 
fornia  to  live.  Perhaps  he  has  come  to  stay." 

"Do  you  know  what  sort  of  a  man  he  is.'  1  mean, 
how  old  is  he  and  what  does  he  look  like?"  Mrs. 
Dennison  irlanced  from  her  sister  to  her  husband 
and  hai-k  again,  as  the  former  promptly  replied: 

"I  have  not  the  remotest  notion.  Mirdie.  All  that 
1  know  about  him  is  that  he  appears  to  be  a  most 
i-nergi'lie  and  enthusiast  i«-  follower  of  Henry  George, 
and  that  he  writes  in  an  exceptionally  clear  manner 
on  all  sociological  topics.  I  have  womb-red  a  little 
about  his  age.  He  shows  too  much  lire  to  be  very 
old  and  too  much  knowledge  for  a  men-  hoy."  Then 
she  laughed:  "I  have  somehow  received  the  im- 
pression  that  he  is  a  rather  stout,  middle  aged  man 


GLEN  HARDING  35 

with  a  full  beard,  who  habitually  wears  a  pepper 
and  salt  business  suit.  However,  you  will  see  him 
for  yourself  this  afternoon,"  and  there  was  a  pleased 
look  in  her  eyes  as  she  refolded  her  note. 

"Didn't  I  ever  tell  you  I  had  a  glimpse  of  Wynn 
in  a  crowd  at  the  Chicago  single  tax  conference  in 
1893?"  asked  Will  Dennison.  "If  my  memory  is 
correct  he  was  very  tall  and  slim  and  dark — sort 
of  typical  Kentucky  mountaineer  style,  you  know, 
Birdie.  He  might  be  my  age,  or  older.  He  was  then, 
as  Glen  says,  an  enthusiast,  but  a  remarkably  clear 
headed  one;  an  unusual  combination." 

"I  have  not  heared  from  him  for  several  months," 
volunteered  Glen  Harding,  "so  I  don't  know  what 
he  is  doing  now;  but  during  our  correspondence  he 
struck  me  as  being  a  born  propagandist.  All  his 
letters  were  full  of  plans  for  some  sort  of  live  na 
tional  organization  to  take  up  and  carry  to  a  finish 
the  great  work  for  which  Henry  George  lived  and 
died." 

"In  that  case  he  may  be  able  to  put  some  life 
into  the  single  taxers  here  in  Los  Angeles  county," 
said  Will  Dennison.  "Our  Club  used  to  be  very 
active — it  really  was,  Glen,"  he  emphasized,  as  he 
noticed  a  peculiar  smile  on  his  sister-in-law's  face 
and  caught  a  hint  of  incredulity  in  her  eyes.  "Why, 
we  had  at  one  time  at  least  two  hundred  outspoken 
single  taxers  on  the  Club  rolls — but  I'll  have  to  ad 
mit  that  I  don't  know  what  has  become  of  most  of 
them.  Tell  Wynn  I  want  to  talk  to  him  about  that. 
Maybe  his  coming  among  us  will  set  us  going  again." 


TIII-:  sou,  or  THK  WORLD 

"It  will  il'  anything  can."  commented  Glen  Hard 
ing,  decisively. 

"I  will  make  him  welcome  and  then  leave  him  to 
you  this  afternoon.  Glen,  for  of  course  it  is  you  he 
(•« HUTS  to  see,  anyway,"  said  her  sister.  "Then  if 
he  is  to  stay  in  town  any  time  I  can  get  up  a  little 
dinner  later  on  and  have  just  the  right  people  to 
meet  him." 

"A  good  plan.  Biidie.  That  will  fix  us  out .  Glen. 
you  learn  all  you  can  of  his  plans  and  tell  him  I 
had  to  go  off.  I  must  hurry  to  catch  that  Beach 
car.  Good  bye,  tots!"  he  called  out  to  the  lit  tit- 
group  playing  in  the  corner,  and  then  snatched  a 
hasty  kiss  from  his  wife  as  he  took  the  hat  she 
held  for  him.  "If  I  get  thru  I'll  come  back  early, 
but  don't  look  for  me  before  seven." 

The  tall  "Grandfather's  clock"  in  the  wide  hall 
struck  two  that  afternoon  as  Glen  Harding  passed 
•  >ut  at  the  front  door  onto  the  broad  pergola  that 
extended  along  the  entire  lower  front  of  the  house 
and  on  into  the  garden  northward  for  a  little  dis 
tance,  then  turned  and  extended  \\-st\vard  to  a  point 
commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  Arroyo  Seco.  This 
pergola  was  in  daily  use  during  the  greater  part 
of  the  year  as  a  reception  and  drawing  room;  tin- 
little  south  |..>ivh  and  the  wide  upstairs  pergola,  on 
the  south  and  west  sides  of  the  large  house  formed 
the  living  rooms  of  the  family  when  they  wen-  not 
driv-n  into  the  house  by  the  infrequent  rains. 

Glen  Harding  niade  a  pleasant  picture  as  she  stood 
a  UK. in. -lit  at  the  main  en  trance  in  the  pergola.  wh<-iv 
tinkers  and  the  delicate  \vire  vine  mingled 


GLEN  HARDING  37 

their  tender  leaves  and  beautiful  blossoms  in  a  living 
frame  about  her,  as  they  climbed  and  twined  and 
swayed  from  pillar  and  beam.  The  day  was  still 
cloudless  and  very  warm ;  it  was,  in  fact,  one  of  the 
days  of  a  "hot  spell"  such  as  are  almost  sure  to 
occur  in  Southern  California  in  April;  days  when 
the  air  is  that  of  midsummer  and  the  bloom  and 
color — in  garden  and  on  foothills  alike — still  has 
the  riotous  luxuriance  of  a  California  spring. 

"Oh,  it's  a  glorious  day!"  Glen  Harding 
exclaimed  aloud,  as  she  breathed  in  the  delicious  air 
and  the  sweet  odors  of  the  flowers  about  her.  She 
Avas  herself  good  to  look  upon,  all  in  white  to  match 
the  purity  of  the  day.  Her  abundant,  rather  dark 
brown  hair,  was  brushed  back  and  coiled  on  top  of 
a  well  poised  head.  Her  gray  eyes  were  bright  with 
an  anticipated  pleasure.  All  who  knew  her  well 
called  Glen  Harding  a  thoroly  charming  woman, 
tho  they  admitted  that  she  had  not  the  beauty  of  her 
sister,  the  fair  haired,  hazel  eyed  Mrs.  Dennison. 
Glen  Harding 's  chief  charm  lay  in  the  bright  help 
fulness  and  hopeful  cheer  that  seemed  to  radiate 
from  her  like  an  inspiring  influence,  and  whose 
source  lay  in  the  mind  which  controlled  the  bright 
ness  of  her  eyes  and  the  firm  curve  of  her  lips. 

"I  do  hope  Mr.  Wynn  will  come  early  before  the 
crowd  gets  here,"  she  thought,  as  she  glanced  across 
the  lawn  to  the  broad  sidewalk,  along  which  a  man 
was  approaching.  He  looked  at  the  name,  "Arroyo 
Vista,"  swinging  from  the  entrance  pillars,  and 
turned  quickly  into  the  grounds,  coming  directly 
toward  her.  A  flash  of  surprise  crossed  her  mind 


i  m:  SOUL  OK  Tin-:  \\<>ULI> 

and  then  slit-  thought.  "It  cannot  b«-  Mr.  \Yynn  for 
he  is  not  a  l>it  taller  llian  I.  and  I'm  only  live  feet 
thriM'.  That's  not  a  Kentucky  mountaineer,  citlier." 
She  had  only  time  to  note  the  sli«rhtn»-ss  of  his  figure 
and  thiit  his  hail1  and  small  mustache  were  brown, 
when  the  man  had  reached  the  steps  and  a  pair  of 
clear  blue  eyes  looked  up  at  her  as  their  owndf 
said  :~ 

;<I  am  looking  for  Miss  film  Harding.  .My  name 
il  Krnest  Wynn." 

"I  am  Glen  Harding  and  I  was  watching  for  you." 
she  said,  frankly  and  heartily  as  she  gave  his 
extended  hand  a  cordial  clasp  and  then  led  the  way 
to  comfortable  seats  in  the  pergola. 

"I  am  so  tflad  you  came  early.  Mr.  \Vynn.  My 
sister  will  he  out  j)resently.  and  by  hrot her-in-law. 
who  could  not  he  here  this  afternoon,  said  I  should 
tell  you  he  wanted  to  see  you  about  waking  up  tm' 
Single  Tax  Club  here  in  the  county." 

"Are  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dennison  active  single 
taxersf"  Krnest  \Vynn  (juestioned.  eagerly. 

"My  sister  is  not  a  bit  interested  in  the  subject 
and  never  has  been;  but  Will.  Mr.  Dennison.  wa> 
active  in  the  cause  some  years  ago.  His  marriage 
and  absorption  in  business  and  soeial  life  turned  his 
attention  from  it  and  now  he  is  not  doinj/  anything 
in  particular  to  advance  the  movement,  tho  his 
belief  in  the  justice  of  the  single  tax  is  as  firm  as 
.•ver." 

"Thai.    S.M-IIIS    to    be    the    sl<Ty    ,•  \  -,-ry  whcr,-.       Adu 
ally.     Miss      HardiiiLT.     I     have    spent     the    last     three 
months    in    t  ravi-Mini:    about    this    country    in    seai-ch 


<;LKN  HARDING  39 

of  live  single  taxers,  and  I  have  found  nothing 
more  animated  yet  than  is  shown  by  active  interest 
in  work  for  municipal  ownership  of  street  railways 
or  water  works  or  other  so-called  'public  utilities/ 
and  the  making  of  speeches  on  child  labor  legisla 
tion  and  an  occasional  single  tax  talk.  Even  the 
single  tax  lecturers  don't  seem  to  do  more  than 
keep  the  name  alive." 

Glen  Harding  smiled.  ' '  That  is  true !  We  had 
one  out  here  last  winter  and  Will  and  I  helped  work 
up  a  crowd  to  listen  to  him,  and  had  reports  of  the 
lectures  in  the  city  papers.  But  nothing  came  of 
it — absolutely  nothing — no  one  seems  a  bit  more 
alive  or  interested  than  before;  and  it  costs  such  a 
lot,  too." 

"Yes,  measured  by  results,  that  is  one  of  the 
most  expensive  forms  of  propaganda.  But,  Miss 
Harding,  something  must  be  done  to  wake  up  the 
single  taxers  thruout  the  country.  It  cannot  be 
possible  that  only  ten  years  after  the  death  of  Henry 
George,  single  taxers  have  become  so  apathetic  that 
the  cause  to  which  he  gave  his  life  will  die  out  thru 
lack  of  active  workers." 

"No,  that  cannot  be,  I  am  sure  not,  Mr.  Wynn. 
There  must  be  plenty  of  them  left  who  will  turn 
in  and  work  when  they  see  something  definite  to 
work  for.  I  feel  sure  there  are  embers  enough, 
smoldering  here  and  there,  to  make  a  big  fire  of 
enthusiasm  if  they  can  only  be  stirred  up  again— 
and  they  shall  be!"  Her  eyes  flashed! 

"You  seem  alive  enough!"  and  there  was  a  glad 
ring  in  Ernest  Wynn's  voice.  "What  are  you 


TIIK  >•  >ri.  <u-  THI-:  WMKLh 

( ';in  you  suggest  a  plan?  Something  at 
which  we  could  go  right  to  work?" 

Glen  Harding  smiled  in  sympathy  with  his  eager- 
"The  propaganda  plan  of  which  I  wrote  you 
still  seems  to  me  the  best  I  can  suggest.  I  have 
nothing  more  definite  in  mind,  but  I  do  feel  more 
than  ever  like  going  ahead  and  making  another 
determined  effort  to  either  rouse  single  taxers  or  get 
a  new  lot  of  people  interested  in  the  settlement  of 
the  land  <|iiest  inii.  The  need  is  so  terribly  pressing!" 

"That's  the  way  1  feel  about  it,  too.  Miss  Harding. 
It  has  brought  me  out  here  in  my  search  t'«>r  helpers." 

"I  have  been  trying  to  find  a  few,  also!  Some 
months  ago  I  wrote  to  quite  a  number  of  single 
laxers  about  propaganda  work,  but  I  must  confess 
that  their  replies  were  anything  but  encouraging — 
most  of  them.  They  are  BO  busy  or  so  poor  or  else 
so  satisfied  with  the  rapid  progress  being  made  that 
they  don't  want  to  join  in  any  special  effort." 

"Satisfied  :    What  can  you  mean?" 

"I  mean.  .Mr.  Wyun.  that  prominent  single  taxers 
have  actually  written  me  they  thought  the  cause 
was  going  forward  fast  enough  and  they  did  not 
care  to  euroii ra«,r«-  my  efforts  to  stir  things  up!" 
She  smiled  as  she  added,  "That  was  before  the  new 
national  association  was  formed." 

Krnest  Wynn  looked  thoughtful.  "I  don't  under 
stand  how  they  can  be  so  blind.  The  power  of 
property  in  privileges  is  growing  stronger  every  day. 
There  is  no  apathy  about  the  work  of  those  who 
own  that  sort  of  properly."  he  added,  grimly,  "and 


GLEN  HARDING  41 

they  are  growing  more  open  and  bold  every  year, 
every  month,  indeed." 

"The  exposure  literature,  which  has  deluged  this 
country  of  late  is  largely  responsible  for  that 
greater  boldness,  Mr.  Wynri." 

"How  do  you  mean?  Of  course,"  he  added  has 
tily,  "I  know  the  thought  was,  that  if  people  really 
understood  how  corrupt  politics  and  business  had 
become,  they  would  speedily  put  a  stop  to  it ;  hence 
some  persons  gave  themselves  seriously  to  the  work 
of  exposure,  with  the  hope  of  doing  some  good." 

' '  Yes,  Mr.  Wynn,  and  at  first  people  were  horrified 
or  scared.  But  no  one  told  them  any  way  out,  and, 
as  the  exposure  stories  were  sensational  and  sold 
well,  a  lot  of  people  began  to  write  in  that  line  for 
the  sake  of  the  returns — there  is  only  too  abundant 
material.  The  result  has  been  that  the  people  have 
become  so  familiar  with  such  horrors  that  they  take 
them  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  no  more  connect 
them  with  their  own  daily  worries  and  struggles, 
than  they  would  so  connect  the  story  in  a  sensational 
novel,  or  a  new  play  at  the  theatre.  Seeing  this, 
the  'captains  of  industry'  know  they  need  no  longer 
trouble  much  to  hide  their  moves — the  people  are 
too  dazed  and  blind  to  see  their  real  meaning,  any 
way.  What  can  we  do,  Mr.  Wynn,  to  get  rid  of  that 
blindness  on  the  part  of  educated,  intelligent  peo 
ple?" 

"I  hope  I "  began  Ernest  Wynn  eagerly,  then 

checked  himself,  and  asked:  "What  can  any  single 
taxer  mean  by  being  satisfied  with  the  'rapid  prog 
ress'  of  the  movement?  In  comparison  with  the 


i-j  TIM:  son.  <>|-  TH r.  WOULD 

giant  strides  bring  made  by  tin-  owners  of  property 
in  privileges.  I  fail  to  IM  any  real  advance  whatever 
toward  the  settlement  «»f  the  land  question.  Can 
you?" 

"No.  I  oaimot,  But  1  chanced  i«»  !><•  lonk'mg  over 
the  Life  nt'  Henry  (n-nrge  the  otlu-r  day. 
for  a  date  I  \\antcd.  when  I  happened  on  a 
I  had  not  specially  noticed  before,  but  which  struck 
me  now  as  throwing  liirht  on  this  strain:.-  attitude 
of  mind  aiming  single  taxers." 

"What  was  it?"  came  the  «|ui<-k  inquiry. 

"It  was  in  the  account  of  that  last,  that  fatal 
campaign.  His  son  reports  that  Mr.  George  was 
confident  of  success,  hut  showed  only  Mashes  of  en 
thusiasm.  \\hieh  Mrs.  (leoi-ire  noticed  and  spoke  ,.f  to 
him.  'No,'  lie  answered,  'little  of  the  old-time  en 
thusiasm.  Perhaps  it  is  that  with  success,  sm-h  M9 
has  come  to  our  cause,  the  mind  advances  to  the 
contemplation  of  othei- thin<_r^.'  I  was  astonished  for 
a  moment  when  I  read  those  words,  Mr.  \Vynn. 
Then  it  suddenly  dawned  <>n  me  that  Henry  George 
had  said  that  he  felt  that  his  task  was  accomplished 
when  his  irreat  book,  Progress  and  Poverty,  was 
finished.  All  the  after  work  and  enthusiasm  of  the 
deliv.-rx  it  his  ^r.-at  message  to  the  thousands  win* 
flocked  to  hcai-  him  in  his  tour  around  the  world,  as 
well  as  thruout  this  country  and  in  his  New  York 
campaigns,  was  undreamed-of  success.  Don't  y»u 
Mr.  \Y\nn.'  Henry  George  felt  that  his  own 
pgrfconft]  task — his  mission  in  life  -was  accomplished 
in  delivering  to  the  world  the  message  he  had  to 
tell.  lie  had  no  thought  of  seeinir  the  results  real 


GLEN  HARDING  43 

ized.  That  the  land  question  could  be  settled  as 
easily  by  the  present  generation  of  human  beings 
as  by  any  later  people  never  dawned  on  his  mind. 
He  was  willing  to  die,  if  need  be,  in  pointing  out  the 
way,  but  others  must  carry  on  the  work  of  applying 
the  message  to  actual  life." 

"I  never  thought  of  that,  Miss  Harding!  Yet 
single  taxers  generally  seem  to  me  to  be  drifting 
away  from  the  land  question — in  spite  of  the  spas 
modic  movement  now  being  made  in  the  east." 

"That  is  exactly  what  the  Single  Tax  Review  and 
my  own  correspondence  has  shown  me !  I  cannot 
believe,  tho,  that  Henry  George  ever  dreamed  that 
any  of  his  followers  would  accept  the  thought  of 
everlastingly  delivering  the  message,  with  no  appli 
cation  of  it.  Yet  what  else  can  we  make  of  the  sug 
gestion  of  a  well-knoAvn  New  York  single  taxer, 
when  discussing  propaganda  methods  in  the  Review, 
that  single  taxers  should  so  word  their  wills  that 
the  interest  on  the  property  they  left  could  be  used 
as  a  perpetual  fund  for  single  tax  work!" 

"I  did  not  see  that!  It  seems  incredible!  I  always 
supposed  I  was  working  to  obtain  freedom  right 
now. ' ' 

"So  did  I,  Mr.  Wynn.  I  never  even  thought  of 
such  a  thing  as  success  in  the  single  tax  cause  being 
anything  short  of  the  complete  and  permanent 
settlement  of  the  land  question.  It  vseemed  so  ob 
vious  to  me  that,  if  this  could  be  done  by  a  simple 
change  in  the  tenure  of  the  land,  people  today  could 
and  would  surely  understand  it  and  make  the 
necessary  change.  For  the  last  few  months  I  have 


ii  THK  8OUL  OP  TIM-:  WORLD 

been  rather  absorbed  in  the  study  of  the  pftgl 
Searching  out  certain  great  truths  has  taken  about 
all  the  time  I  could  spare  from  my  daily  work.  P.ut 
it  has  been  well  worth  while!"  The  enthusiasm  of 
a  great  Jiope  shone  in  hn-  eyea  and  sounded  in  her 
voice.  "I  now  see  clearly  the  fundamental  truths 
of  that  early  time,  and  they  throw  a  wonderful 
flood  of  light  on  sociology,  and  that  will  be  such  a 
help  to  us  in  the  propaganda.  Mr.  \Vynn.  I  trust 
that  you — oh,"  she  broke  olV  suddenly,  "there  is 
my  sister."  (yq  Mix.  Dennison  appeared  in  the  door 
way,  and  advanced  with  cordial  greetings. 

"I  am  sorry  my  husband  could  not  he  here  to 
meet  you,"  she  added,  "but  he  may  get  home  before 
our  guests  have  gone." 

"Your  guests."  exclaimed  Krnest  Wynn.  "1  hope 
I  am  not  intruding  on  a  party.  I  have  had  no  time 
to  learn  society  ways." 

"Intruding:  Not  at  all."  replied  Mrs.  Dennison. 
heartily.  "But  I  hope  you  play  tennis.'  The  afi'air 
is  only  an  informal  tennis  match  on  nearby  grounds, 
and  tea  here  afterwards  in  honor  of — why.  here 
they  are  now.  Pleas.-  excuse  me  a  moment."  and  she 
turned  to  welcome  two  stylish-looking  women  as 
t  he\  i-n'ered  the  perg«»la. 

"They  are  Mrs.  Grant  Norwood  and  her  young 
glftter,  (Iraee  Knight,  whom  the  parly  is  for."  ex 
plained  (ilen  Harding  in  an  aside  to  Krnest  YYvjui; 
and  the  latter  looked  with  much  interest  at  tin1  wife 
«.f  his  old  friend,  deciding  that  she  seemed  more 
iri  veil  t  n  societ  v  than  to  st  udv . 


GLEN  HARDING  45 

"Do  you  play  tennis,  Mr.  Wyun?"  Glen  Harding 
questioned.  "Miss  Knight  is  something  of  a  cham 
pion  at  the  game  and  our  Club  relies  on  me  to  play 
on  the  other  side." 

"I  have  never  had  time  for  it,  but  perhaps  I'll 
enjoy  watching  the  game  all  the  more  on  that 
account — as  a  novelty!  Don't  bother  about  me." 

"I  don't  play  very  often  now — in  fact,  this  is  to 
be  my  final  game  as  a  member  of  the  Club.  I 
learned  to  play  while  teaching,  for  the  sake  of  the 
exercise.  Out  here  my  work  gives  me  that,  and  I 
have  not  time  for  play.  I  feel  strongly  that 
if  more  of  us  would  work  seriously,  for  a  while,  in 
the  right  way,  all  would  then  be  free  to  thoroly 
enjoy  living  and  learning  and  growing.  Lately,  as 
I  said,  I  have  been  absorbed  in  my  newer  studies." 

"My  husband  told  me  about  meeting  you  on  the 
train  yesterday,  Mr.  Wynn,"  said  Mrs.  Norwood, 
after  the  introductions  had  been  made.  "You  must 
come  over  and  see  us  soon.  Cannot  you  come  next 
Sunday?  Grant  will  be  home  then." 

"I'll  come,  with  pleasure,"  replied  Ernest  Wynn. 
Then,  seeing  an  expression  of  surprise  in  Glen 
Harding 's  eyes,  he  added,  "Grant  and  I  were 
playmates  as  children,  and  later  worked  together 
for  years  in  a  railway  telegraph  office  back  in 
Illinois." 

"It  is  strange  Mr.  Norwood  never  mentioned  that 
to  me,"  she  said. 

"I  suppose  he  never  thought  of  me,"  re 
turned  Ernest  Wynn,  lightly.  "Grant  was  never 


TIIK  9OUL  <>F  THK  WORLD 

given  t->  overmueh  letter  writing  and  we  only  kept 
up  a  eorrespoiidenee  for  a  short  time  after  I  left  the 
Burlington  I'm*  the  northwest.  We  had  not  MeZ) 
eaeh  other  for  ten  yeCTl  OT  more,  hut  we  used  to  be 
rinn  friends." 

"It  will  do  him  lots  «»f  .rood  to  have  you  renew 
that  friendship."  said  Glen  Harding,  with  a  seriou* 
siirnifieanee  in  tone  and  smile  that  Krnest  \Vynn 
felt,  but  did  not  understand.  lie  had  no  chanee  to 
say  more  at  the  moment,  for  a  merry  group  had 
arrived  and  he  found  himself  trying  to  remember  a 
do/en  new  names  at  once. 

As  it  \\as  a  part  of  Ernest  Wynn's  purpose  to  be- 
'•oine  ae«|uainted  with  all  sorts  of  people  and  to  make 
himself  agreeable  amonjr  them,  he  threw  hims.  if 
heartily  into  the  environment  of  the  present  moment  ; 
with  an  enjoyment  that  surprised  himself  and  a  sue- 
that  eaused  Mrs.  Dennison  to  observe,  later,  to 
her  sister: — 

Mr.    Wynn    is   so   (juiek   to   learn    and    know>    - 
well  how  to  adapt   himself  to  the  people  he  is  with 
that    he    will    do    anywhere!      I    should    never    have 
dreamed   that   this  was  the   first    time  he  ever  really 
watched  a  jrame  of  tennis,  if  he  had  not  told  me  so. 
11.-  showed   sueli   an   intelligent    interest    in   the   play 
and    in   my  explanations.      Then    he   likes   little  ehil- 
dren  so  mueh.  and  we  had  a  splendid  talk  about  them 
and  things  to  do  for  them — and  he  never  on.-e  men 
tioned  the  single  tax  !" 

"Mr.    Wynn.    are    \ou    interested    in    the    oeeult?" 

ijllest  loned      <ir;H-e      |\M    Lrht.      wlli-ll      they      ehniK'ed      to 


<;LK\    HAKIHMJ  47 

meet  as  the  tennis  players  gathered  again  in  the 
pergola  at  Arroyo  Vista. 

"Not  a  great  deal,  I  admit.  Still,  I  have  wanted 
to  learn  more  about  it  since  1  find  Grant  so  taken 
up  with  metaphysics." 

"Then  you  will  come  to  our  meeting  next  Thurs 
day  evening,"  she  urged.  "Miss  Harding  is  going 
to  talk  about  the  past,  and  we  will  have  Mr.  Tre- 
mont,  too.  He's  just  splendid,  you  know.  And 
maybe  Mr.  Motora  will  be  there.  I  have  not  seen 
him  yet.  Grant  says  he  is  a  Christian  now,  but  of 
course  he  was  a  Buddhist  first  and  knows  a  great 
deal  about  these  subjects.  We  want  to  get  up  a 
good  meeting,  for  Grant  says  that  Miss  Harding's 
talks  are  wonderful,"  and  she  looked  with  some 
awe  across  the  lawn  to  where  Glen  Harding  was  at 
the  moment  in  animated  conversation  with  a  group 
of  young  people.  "Grant  says  Miss  Harding  is  like 
two  persons  who  are  as  different  as  can  be.  Can  I 
tell  him  you  will  be  at  the  meeting?  It  is  to  be  at 
the  Hall  of  the  Metaphysical  Club,"  and  she  handed 
him  a  card. 

"Certainly,  tell  Grant  I'll  be  sure  to  be  on  hand." 

When  the  others  began  to  leave,  Ernest  Wynn 
also  rose  to  go,  and  Glen  Harding  did  not  seek  to 
detain  him.  Instead,  she  said  frankly:  "I  have 
some  work  that  ought  to  be  finished  this  evening, 
Mr.  Wynn,  but  I  can  give  you  several  hours  tomor 
row  afternoon,  and  I  would  like  so  much  to  learn 
more  of  your  plans." 

"I  will  be  glad  to  come,  but  at  what  time?" 


Till-:   Si  U'L   (>!'   TI1K    \Vi  Hil.h 

.Mrs.  Deninson  heard  tin-  <|Uestion  and  turned 
•  juickly  toward  them,  "Come  in  lunch  with  us  at 
One  O'clock,  Mr.  \Y\nn.  and  then  you  can  sec  the 

children,  and    I    hope   Mr.   Dcnnison   can   lie  at    home. 

too." 

"Thank  you.  I   will  gladly  com.  ." 

Krnest  \Vynn  returned  to  his  plain  little  room 
with  his  head  in  something  of  a  whirl.  First,  then- 
was  Glen  Harding,  herself.  She  was  surely  all 
and  more  than  he  had  hoped  to  find.  How  graceful 
and  strong  she  had  seemed  on  the  tennis  ground! 
How  her  eyes  had  (lashed  when  they  had  talked  of 
waking  up  the  single  taxers!  He  must  think  over 
the  new  ideas  she  had  Driven  him.  Hnw  quick  she 
was  in  catching  a  suggestion!  She  would  certainly 
understand  his  new  find  at  once,  and  he  smiled  as 
he  remembered  how  near  he  had  come  1<>  telling  it 
the  first  thing.  Should  lie  do  it?  No.  it  was  better 
to  wait  as  he  had  planned— until  he  had  met  and 
si/.ed  up  those  other  men. 

Krnest  \Vyim  felt  that  their  little  talk  gave  him 
ample  evidence  of  (Jlen  llarding's  live  interest  in 
the  work  for  human  freedom.  And  she  was  thor- 
oly  in  earnest  about  it.  He  could  not  doubt 
that  now.  Then  there  was  that  rich  brother-in-law. 
A  wealthy  single  lax-'r  could  do  so  much  to  advance 
the  eause  he  .had  at  heart,  and  he  must  have  that 
talk  with  Deiniison  at  the  first  opportunity. 

All  looked  favorable,  except — and  the  thought 
made  him  feel  gloomy  for  the  moment,  as  well  as 
I ui//led-  -what  was  all  that  nonsense  about  the 
oeeult  and  Buddhism.1  HOW  could  (Jlen  Hardinir 


GLEN  HARDI.M;  49 

be  mixed  up  in  such  beliefs?  Still,  he  admitted  to 
himself,  he  knew  very  little  about  them;  and  he 
concluded  to  put  in  the  next  forenoon  at  the  tempt 
ing  Public  Library  he  had  passed  that  morning, 
when  it  was  too  late  to  stop,  and  post  himself  some 
what  on  the  subject  before  he  saw  Glen  Harding 
again. 


CHAPTER  4. 

IN   THi:    DAWN   OF  THE   MORNING. 

Erin-st  Wynn  \v;is  neither  very  young  nor  ver\ 
romantic,  so  he  slept  well  in  spite  of  the  con  fuse,  1 
st;itc  of  mind  in  which  lie  had  retired.  When  he 
woke  it  was  not  yet  daylight,  but  the  moon,  getting 
low  in  the  west,  sent  a  flood  of  light  into  the  room, 
thru  the  uncurtained  window.  lie  had  opened  the 
window  as  widely  as  possible  to  let  in  the  air,  and 
forgotten  to  pull  down  the  shade. 

As  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  getting  up  unnec- 
Bttarily  early,  he  turned  over  uneasily,  putting  him 
self  out  of  range  of  the  bright  shafts  from  the 
moon.  Still,  he  found  himself  wide  awake  and  with 
a  problem  to  solve.  What  was  it?  His  mind  went 
back  to  the  afternoon  before.  Now  he  had  it! 
Was  Glen  Harding  <>ne  of  those  "New  Thought" 
teachers  whose  writinirs  had  sometimes  come  to  his 
attention  and  made  him  tired?  It  could  not  be — 
and  yet  what  else  could  Miss  Knight  have  meant 
when  she  urged  him  to  come  to  their  metaphysical 
n tiiiir  to  hear  Miss  Ilardi- 

There  was  no  use  staying  in  bed.  He  rose  and 
glanced  from  the  window  at  the  still  sleeping  city. 
It  was  a  clear  morning,  without  fog,  and  he  dressed 
ouiekly  and  went  out.  The  moon  had  dropped 
behind  the  western  hills,  and  the  dawn  was  slowly 
iir  up  llx-  eastern  sky. 


IN  THK    DAWN   OP  THE  MORNING  51 

Some  one  had  told  him  the  view  of  the  moun 
tains  was  fine  from  points  toward  the  north  on  Ray 
mond  and  Fair  Oaks  avenues,  so  he  crossed  to  Ray 
mond  and  started  northward.  Toward  the  east  the 
trees  and  houses  stood  out  in  dark  silhouettes 
against  the  yellowing  sky,  their  beauty  of  outline 
broken  here  and  there  by  the  stiff  ugliness  of  a  tele 
phone  of  electric  light  pole.  On  the  north  the  Sierra 
Madre  range  was  sharply  outlined  against  the  white 
dawn  sky,  which  seemed  to  melt  into  the  upper 
heaven  of  deep,  pure  blue  as  the  light  grew  brighter. 

Stopping  on  a  corner,  Ernest  Wynn  glanced  at 
the  street  sign,  and  found  himself  on  Orange  Grove 
Avenue.  Instinctively,  he  turned  toward  the  west, 
following  the  curve  of  the  street  until  he  saw  the 
low  range  of  the  Verdugo  hills,  still  resting  in  the 
darker  shadow,  save  where  the  dawning  light  gave 
them  a  rose-hued  glow,  like  that  of  the  sky  above 
them.  He  walked  quickly  out  Arroyo  Terrace, 
enjoying  the  wide  view  of  the  old  river  bed  and 
the  tempting  summits  on  the  other  side. 

Very  well,  he  decided.  He  would  go  over  there 
and  take  a  look  at  the  city  from  the  point  he  had 
noticed  opposite  Arroyo  Vista.  Glen  Harding  had 
mentioned  that  the  rounded  height  was  called 
Jumbo  Knob,  and  that  it  afforded  a  fine  view  of 
the  city.  He  wondered  if  she  liked  to  climb  hills 
as  well  as  he  did.  Perhaps  they  would  soon  be 
climbing  about  among  the  mountains  together.  He 
glanced  at  the  distant  peaks,  now  dark  against  the 
brightening  sky,  and  longed  to  clamber  up  their 
steep  sides  and  wander  along  those  fascinating  ridges 


mi:  SOUL  OF  Tin-:  \\«»HLI> 

\\itli  (Jh'ii  Harding  beside  him.  Then  lie  gave 
himself  a  mental  shake  and  called  a  halt  on  such 
fancies.  What  was  In-  thinking  about,  an\\\ay.  to 
imagine  tliat  he  could  step  in  and  win  such  a 
woman  as  (Jlen  Harding.1  Surrounded  as  she  was 
hy  friends — and  with  two  lovers  besides — what  n»v<l 
had  she  of  him?  The  thought  braced  him  up  and 
the  look  of  determination  eame  hack  to  his  Qy60 
II«-  would  show  her  that  sin-  needed  him  as  he 
needed  her.  They  were  necessary  to  each  other  for 
mole  than  the  mere  enjoyment  of  life.  Together 
i  he\  could  work  for  the  greatest  of  all  causes 

the  cause  of  human  freedom.  Together  they  could 
set-  it  won ! 

lie  walked  on  more  briskly,  out  along  (Jran.l 
Avenue,  and  then  down  the  hill  to  a  point  where 
two  roads  diverged.  lie  stood  a  moment  in  doubt 
as  to  which  road  to  take;  and  pausing  there,  enjoyed 
the  new  view  of  the  Arroyo  until  the  rose  light  of 
the  dawn  faded  over  the  western  hills  and  the  clear 
light  of  day  took  its  place.  Then  he  stepped  for 
ward,  about  to  take  ihe  nearer  road  to  Jumbo  Knob, 
when  suddenly,  as  lie  gave  a  side  glance  toward  the 
south,  he  found  himself  looking  at  the  back  part  of 
Arroyo  Vista.  TiirniiiLr  quickly,  lie  thought  he  saw 
a  figure  he  knew  standing  at  the  top  of  a  bank,  high 
above  the  road.  He  turned  down  the  hill,  keeping 
his  eyes  on  that  figure.  Yes,  it  was  surely  Glen 
Harding.  But  what  in  the  world  was  she  doing  out 
there  at  that  time  of  day?  A  nearer  approach 
showed  him  she  was  digging  with  a  spading  fork 
along  the  lop  of  the  steep  slope.  As  he  stood 


IN   Tllfc]  DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING  53 

watching  her  she  paused  a  moment  to  look  up  and 
down  the  Arroyo  and  off  over  the  hills.  Then  her 
glance,  returning  to  her  work,  encountered  the 
watching  gaze  in  the  road  below,  and  immediately 
a  cheerful  voice  called,  tho  softly,  in  keeping  with 
the  quiet  of  the  early  hour: 

"Come  up  here,  Mr.  Wynn,  the  view  is  better. 
Go  on  around  the  bend,"  as  he  glanced  at  the  inac 
cessibly  high  wall  before  him,  "and  you  will  find 
our  path." 

A  few  steps  farther  down  the  hill  he  saw  a  steep 
path,  winding  slightly  as  it  led  upward  between 
stately  rows  of  eucalyptus  trees.  Glen  Harding- 
met  him  at  the  top  with  a  cordial  hand  clasp  and 
bright  "Good  morning!" 

"There  used  to  be  a  stairway  there,"  she  added, 
"but  it  looked  so  artificial  that  I  begged  my  sister 
to  have  it  taken  away.  The  path  is  so  much  more 
real  and  woodsy  that  even  my  sister  likes  to  see  it 
now,  tho  she  rarely  uses  it  herself.  The  children  get 
lots  of  pleasure  and  exercise  out  of  it.  But  come 
over  here,  Mr.  Wynn,  it  is  the  best  place  from 
which  to  see  the  Arroyo,"  and  she  led  the  way  to 
a  rustic  platform  and  seat,  roofed  by  vines,  at  the 
extreme  point  of  the  bend. 

Ernest  Wynn  gazed  about  at  the  more  extended 
view,  and  his  face  showed  his  delight  as  the  full 
beauty  of  that  natural  park  was  disclosed.  North 
and  south  he  saw  the  deep  gulch  of  the  Arroyo  Seco, 
the  white  sand  and  boulders  showing  the  winding 
way  of  the  stream  bed,  and  disappearing  among  the 
tall  trees  far  below  him.  Opposite  Arroyo  Vista 


."I  Till:   Snl'L   <  >r  THK    WnRLh 

the  green  lulls  rose  and  rolled  away  toward  the 
\\ '^tern  horizon.  On  the  north  the  mountains  now 
showed  in  blue  and  purple  against  the  white  light 
of  tin-  moniiuLr  sky.  itself  changing,  higher  up, 
to  the  indescribably  beautiful  bine  peculiar  t<>  a 
cloudless  Southern  California  day. 

Glen  Harding  noted  the  pleasure  in  his  face. 
"Stay  here  as  l«mg  as  you  like.  Mr.  Wynn,  I  want 
you  to  see  it  all.  But  I  have  some  work  up  there 
that  I  must  finish.  You  will  excuse  me?" 

"Certainly.  Don't  let  me  interrupt  you.  1  started 
out  to  walk  over  to  the  hills  and  see  the  eity.  hut  this 
is  vastly  better." 

"Yes,"  she  answered  over  her  shoulder,  as  she 
went  a  few  steps  away  and  renewed  her  work,  "it 
is  better  to  look  away  from  the  city  than  toward  it." 

"Then  you  do  not  love  the  city?" 

"Xo!"  Her  tone  was  positive.  "I  do  not  love 
cities,  even  tho  this  particular  city  ranks  high  among 
the  fairest.  We  are  too  crowded,  too  artificial,  too 
afraid  of  each  other!  There  are  times  when  F  wish 
thai  I  cnuld  get  away  from  it  all  and  live  in  a  cabin 
on  the  mountains,"  and  her  irray  eyes  turned  in  a 
momentary  lon^inir  toward  tin1  jriant  heaps,  now 
showing  bright  patehcs  of  sunlight  al«mnr  their  sum 
mils.  "But  I  realize  that  the  work  I  have  to  do 
for  freedom  cannot  be  done  from  such  a  location 
even  if  I  could  secure  it,  and  so  I  stay  hen-  and 
work  on."  She  gave  the  spading  fork  an  extra 
vigorous  jab  into  the  Around,  then  she  looked  down 
on  Krncst  Wynn  and  smiled.  "1  don't  mean  to  be 
savage,  but  sometimes  1  feel  almost  desperate  over 


IN  THE   DAWN   OF  THE  MOKN1NG  55 

the  blindness  of  professedly  intelligent  people,  and 
the  worthless  sort  of  lives  we  lead!" 

"So  you  sacrifice  your  own  pleasures  for  the  sake 
of  working  for  others,  and — " 

"Please  don't  misunderstand  me,  Mr.  Wynn, "  she 
interrupted,  eagerly.  "I  have  no  great  admiration 
for  what  is  ordinarily  called  self-sacrifice.  To  do 
without  things  for  the  sake  of  others — other  adults, 
1  mean — is  not  always  wise,  for  either  giver  or 
receiver." 

"Yet  some  of  your  .letters  gave  me  the  distinct 
impression  that  you  never  think  of  yourself — you 
are  always  thinking  of  others  ! ' ' 

She  laughed  softly.  "The  not  thinking  of  myself 
is  only  seeming,  Mr.  Wynn.  I  want  freedom.  I 
want  it  with  a  longing  that  is  measured  only  by 
my  realization  of  what  true  freedom  would  mean 
to  me,  and  to  ALL  others.  But  I  know  that  I  can 
not  have  this  highest  freedom  except  as  one  with 
ALL  others.  My  individuality  is  quite  distinct — I 
know  it  does  not  loom  large,  tho  I  assure  you  I 
iH-ver  lose  sight  of  it  myself — but  it  is  lost  sight  of  in 
the  mass  of  other  distinct  individualities  which  go  to 
make  up  the  whole — in  this  nation,  or  the  world. 
The  thought  of  the  whole — the  oneness  of  all — must 
necessarily  dominate  until  equal  freedom  is'  won. 
Then — and  not  till  then — can  we  each  work  out  in 
life  the  best  and  highest  of  which  we  are  capable. 
Each  will  then  be  visibly  distinct  as  we  all  move 
freely  onward — each  in  a  self-chosen  path.  I  mean" 
— she  smiled  brightly  at  the  evident  interest  of  her 
listener — "as  we  work  and  study  whatever  we  like, 

f    UNIVERSITY 


TIIK  son.  (»i    TNI-:  \VMKU> 

all  standing  on  tin-  S60tU>e  foundation  of  equal 
opportunities.  \Ye  could  neither  hinder  each  other 
nor  have  any  occasion  I'm-  seeming  self  sacrifice — 
whether  one  «'lniM'  to  live  in  a  cabin  on  a  mountain 
Of  In-  a  merchant  in  town." 

"I  understand  your  meaning."  and  Krnest  Wynn 
felt  his  pulses  throb  faster  as  he  looked  up  an 
instant  into  the  bright  eyes  of  the  woman  who  now 
wielded  the  spading  fork  with  renewed  rigor. 
"Yet  you  have  a  beautiful  home,  even  now."  !!•• 
turned  in  his  seat  and  glanced  about,  from  the 
stately  house,  showing  yellow  and  white  amon«r  the 
trees,  to  the  long,  vine-covered  pergola,  and  then 
around  the  bloom-filled  garden.  He  caught  ,1 
uHimpse  of  the  lawn,  and  of  pleasant,  shady  nooks, 
now  brightening  here  and  there  as  the  long  rays  of 
the  early  sunlight  searched  them  out. 

(lien  I  lardinir  followed  his  glance.  "It  is  lovely," 
she  said,  "and  my  sister  and  brother  make  me  feel 
that  it  is  truly  my  home  as  |oii<,r  ;)S  I  choose  to  >tay 
witli  them." 

"Hut    you    would    prefer   a    home   of   your   own?" 

"Siirelv  !  Do  we  not  all  long  for  homes  in  which 
we  can  be  our  very  own  selves?  Where  we  can  plan 
things  our  o\\  n  wax.'  Tho."  she  added,  thought 
fully,  "I  find  few  people,  even  in  their  own  homes. 
\\lm  act  iii  a  really  natural,  sincere  way.  or  whose 
surroundings  are  an  expression  of  the  individuality 
of  their  owners.  It's  all  a  part  of  the  artificial, 
unjust  conditions  in  which  we  live,  and  no  one  of 
IM  Can  L'et  ..lit  ent  irely  out  alone." 

UTOB     mils!     B66    a     L'ood     deal     of    Socie1\      life    here." 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING  57 

his  mind  going  back  to  the  gathering  of  the  day 
before,  and  the  snatches  of  talk  he  had  heard, 
bringing  out  a  phase  of  life  hitherto  outside  of  his 
experience. 

"Not  so  much  as  you  imagine.  I  have  neither  the 
time  nor  inclination  for  it,  and  I  could  not  stand 
the  late  hours.  I  do  not  share  my  sister's  merely 
society  life,  tho  I  have  to  see  quite  enough  of  it  to 
know  that  there  is  little  of  real  satisfaction  or  happi 
ness  in  it.  I  go  about  a  great  deal  with  my  sister 
among  the  poor  people,  whom  she  likes  to  help,  and 
it  is  so  hard  to  endure  it  all  when  I  feel  that  it 
could  be  so  easily  and  quickly  changed.  I  simply 
cannot  help  thinking  of  all  the  other  people  who 
ought  to  have  homes  as  pleasant  as  this  is  to  Birdie 
and  Will,  and  their  children.  But,  really,  Mr. 
Wynn,  I  am  keeping  you  from  enjoying  the  view. 
I'll  k«ep  still  a  bit  and  work."  She  had  been  grad 
ually  spading  her  way  farther  from  him  as  she 
talked. 

Ernest  Wynn  kept  his  place  a  moment  longer, 
looking  toward  the  scene  before  him,  and  yet  hardly 
conscious  of  it.  His  vision  was  filled  by  the  image 
of  the  woman  at  work  in  the  garden  behind  him. 
He  had  noticed  her  costume  with  exceeding  approval 
when  she  met  him  at  the  top  of  the  path.  A  plain, 
short  skirt,  and  pink  and  white  blouse,  and  low  shoes 
with  broad  soles  and  low  heels.  Her  head  was  cov 
ered  only  by  its  beautiful  brown  hair.  "She  is  an 
extra  sensible  woman  in  many  ways,"  he  thought, 
exultantly,  "and  what  a  power  for  freedom  such 
a  woman  can  be." 


58  THK  SOIL  <>K  Till-;    WoHLD 

!!«•  could  imt  MI  still  any  longer,  and  stepped  bark 
t<»  ilir  higher  level,  where  he  found  Glen  Harding 
Npading  up  a  narrow  border  along  the  edge  of  tin- 
slope.  He  stood  watching  her  a  moment,  when  she 

sahl  :      "  Kxeuse    my    keeping  on.       I   want    these    plants 

to  be  in  before  breakfast.  We  can  talk  as  I  work." 
She  stuck  her  fork  in  the  ground  and  took  up  a 
rake,  beginning  to  pnlveri/e  the  earth  already 
broken. 

"Ami  I  have  hindered  yon."  exclaimed  Kruest 
\V\nn.  ''You  must  let  me  help  now  t«»  make  up 
Tor  it."  He  hung  his  hat  on  a  bush,  to  free  his 
hands,  and.  taking  the  spading  fork,  began  turning 
the  soil  quickly  with  a  practiced  steadiness  that 
(lien  Hard-ing  at  once  noticed. 

"Thank  yon.  1  see  yon  know  how."  There  was 
a  note  of  satisfaction  in  her  tone  that  wa*  not  lost 
on  her  hearer.  "But  lay  otV  your  coat  and  you  run 
work  more  comfortably.  It  is  cool  now,  but  yon  will 
find  it  very  warm  as  the  sun  gets  higher-and  you 
are  just  from  the  east.  It  always  serins  warmer  to 
newcomers  at  first." 

He  did  as  he  was  bid.  and  both  worked  diligently 
as  they  talked. 

"Yon  see.  this  is  the  hurry  season  of  the  year." 
she  explained,  "and  my  sister  wants  this  border  to 
be  a  mass  of  bloom  in  time  Cor  a  garden  partv 
early  next  month.  A  lot  of  other  things  have  to 
be  rushed  on  that  account,  ton." 

"And   you   like   to   do   this   work    1'or   her'.'      Il    is 

<l  exercise,  I  know,  hut    I  supposed  such  a 
must    require  a    regular  gardener." 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING  59 

Glen  Harding  laughed.  "Yes,  1  like  to  work  for 
Birdie  better  than  I  would  for  anyone  else — except 
myself — at  gardening,  I  mean."  Then  she  straight 
ened  up  and  faced  him  a  moment,  still  smiling. 
"But,  Mr.  Wynn,  I  am  not  doing  this  for  exercise, 
nor  just  for  love  of  the  work,  or  of  my  sister.  I 
am  doing  it  for  cash!  I  am  the  'regular  gardener' 
of  Arroyo  Vista,  myself." 

Ernest  Wynn  stopped  spading  a  moment  in  his 
surprise.  "Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  attend  to 
all  this?"  He  glanced  about  the  large,  well  kept 
garden,  with  its  luxuriantly  blooming  borders  and 
beds,  the  well  trimmed  trees,  the  -vines  climbing 
about  house  and  arbor  and  pergola,  and  noticed  the 
quiet  harmony  and  homelike  air  of  it  all. 

"Yes,"  the  reply  came  a  little  proudly.  "I  have 
had  sole  charge  of  these  grounds  for  over  two  years, 
and  I  planned  a  lot  of  the  work  while  studying 
under  the  gardener  they  had  the  year  before.  He 
knew  just  how  to  make  things  grow,  out  here,  but 
almost  nothing  of  getting  the  right  effects.  Jake 
Harris,  our  negro  helper,  does  the  heavy  lifting 
under  my  direction,  and  I  have  an  assistant  whom  I 
am  training,  but  she  is  out  of  town  just  now." 

A  sudden  thought  struck  Ernest  Wynn,  and  he  put 
the  question:  "Then  that  is  why  you  are  up  so 
early?" 

They  were  working  close  together  at  the  moment, 
Ernest  Wynn  wielding  the  spading  fork  while  the 
gardener  followed  his  quick,  dexterous  breaking  of 
the  ground  with  an  equally  rapid  and  skilled  raking 
smooth. 


TIIK  SOTL  or  Tin-:  \YOKU> 

"1  like  to  get  up  early  on  such  mornings  as  tin* 
\\.-is."  she  said.  "I  don't  really  have  to.  But  you 
must  be  an  early  riser  yourself,"  and  she  smiled, 
"to  be  over  here  at  such  an  hour!" 

"I  am  not  fond  of  early  hours,  I  must  confess," 
then  he  laughed.  "The  truth  is,  the  moon  woke  me 
and  I  eouldn't  sleep  again,  so  I  started  out  for  a 
walk/' 

"Was  not  the  moonlight  perfect!"  Glen  Harding 
«  \(  laimed,  her  face  all  animation,  as  tho  lighted  b\ 
the  radiance  of  a  remembered  glory.  "Don't  you 
think  people  miss  a  great  deal  by  staying  shut  up 
so  late  in  the  morning 

"I  don't  know.  I  never  thought  of  it  that  way, 
Miss  Harding."  Then  he  looked  at  her  quizically. 
"Please  tell  me  what  I  missed  this  morning.  It 
was  daylight  by  the  time  I  was  out  on  the  street — 
but  I  noticed  a  rare  purity  in  the  air." 

"Yes,"  she  said,  appreciatively.  "It  is  delicious 
before  the  city  chimneys  and  stores  wake  up  and 
spoil  it!" 

"But  what  did  I  miss?"  he  insisted,  smilingly. 
"I  really  want  to  know."  He  had  caught  the  look 
of  doubt  on  her  face. 

"I  happened  to  In-  out  at  half  past  three — don't 
shake  your  head,"  she  broke  off,  laughingly.  "I'm 
not  always  so  early  as  that.  I  woke  up,  and  the 
glory  of  the  moonlight  was  too  perfect  to  let  me 
stay  in  the  house.  I  came  out  into  the  garden.  The 
sky  was  cloudless,  not  a  trace  of  moisture  anywhere, 
and  the  moon  almost  full.  Our  oranire  lives  -you 
must  notice  them,  Mr.  Wynn — showed  their 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  TH.K  MORNING  61 

of  waxen  white  blossoms,  odorously  sweet  in  the 
pure  night  air.  The  'Mother  Mountains'  stood  out 
distinctly  against  the  clear  sky,  showing  dark 
shadows  that  marked  the  canyons,  and,  higher  up, 
white  patches  here  and  there  where  the  rocks  are 
as  bare  as  castle  walls — they  give  its  name  to  Castle 
Canyon.  Over  there  on  the  west  the  line  of  the 
Verdugo  hills  and  San  Rafael  Heights  showed  their 
softly  rolling  outlines  against  the  pale  sky.  Down 
in  the  Arroyo  the  sand  and  boulders  shone  silvery 
white  in  the  moonlight,  while  the  trees  and  bushes 
cast  strange  shadows.  All  about  me  the  trees  which 
hid  the  sleeping  city  rose  in  dark,  shapely  masses 
against  the  light  of  the  sky — you  must  notice  the 
delicate  tracery  of  the  tops  of  the  eucalypts  against 
a  moonlighted  or  early  dawn  sky  the  first  chance 
you  have,  Mr.  Wynn.  Some  of  'the  friendly  stars' 
were  still  visible ;  the  big  dipper,  with  Deneb,  Vega 
and  Altair,  showed  a  faint  brightness  in  the  brighter 
light  of  the  moon.  I  even  caught  a  glimpse  of  Job's 
Coffin,  faint  in  the  glorious  light,  yet  quite  distinct. 
Oh,  Mr.  Wynn,  we  live  in  a  marvelously  beautiful 
world,  and  peace  and  friendship  and  enjoyment  is 
surely  the  normal  life  for  ALL  people!" 

"Most  decidedly  it  is,"  came  the  ready  acquies 
cence.  "Really,  Miss  Harding,  you  make  me  wish  I 
liked  early  rising!  I  don't  know  what  possessed 
me  this  morning,  tho  I'm  not  sorry  now,"  he 
laughed.  "I  always  liked  garden  work.  I  learned 
as  a  child  and  youth  in  father's  garden  in  Illinois." 

The  gardener  smiled.  "I  had  no  experience  in 
eastern  gardens.  I  never  really  did  any  such  work 


THI-:  SOUL  OP  TIII-:  \\<>mj> 

till  1  came  nut  here.  Hut  1  enjoy  il.  I'm  like  those 
Hindus  who  hold  that  in  order  to  have  perfect 
health  each  adult  needs  to  do  enough  physical  labor 
to  provide  the  necessities  of  a  simple  life.  Cnder 
truly  free  conditions  1  believe  \ve  would  all  natur 
ally  live  up  to  that  id«-a  some  working  in  «»ne  way 
and  others  taking  different  ways;  hut  all  the  \\a\- 
alike  in  necessitating  some  outdoor  activity  each 
day — if  only  a  walk." 

"1  would  decidedly  enjoy  that  sort  of  life."  said 
Ki  nest  Wynn.  "But  I  thought  you  were  a  teacher, 
from  the  way  yon  wrote  in  an  article  on  educa 
tion." 

"You  saw  that?  Yes,  I  was  a  teacher  then.  I 
taught  lor  twelve  years  in  Pennsylvania  public 
schools.  I  enjoy  teaching,  but  not  in  that  way. 
Our  public  school  methods  wear  out  too  many 
teachers  and  destroy  too  many  children.  I  saw  it 
all  plainly,  but  was  helpless  to  alter  the  system. 
Then  my  sister  gave  me  the  chance  to  come  out 
hen-  and  I  came.  I  had  learned  before  that  time 
that  the  school  problem  was  only  a  part  of  the 
LT<,  1  locial  problem  in  winch  we  are  all  involved. 
Studying  the  works  of  Henry  (Jeorge  convinced  me 
that  the  only  way  to  really  benefit  the  children,  or 
«rivc  them  a  fair  chance  in  life,  was  to  have  the 
land  question  settled  first  <>f  all.  Since  then  I  have 
been  trying  to  do  what  I  could  by  writing  and 
talking  wherx-v.  r  I  have  had  the  opportunity;  and 
making  such  opportunities  as  F  could,  but  such 
\\ork  is  far  too  desultory  to  accomplish  anything. 
It  is  not  encoiinnrintr  to  notice  how  utterly  apathetic 


IN  THE   DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING  63 

so  many  single  taxers  have  become  of  late  years, 
as  you  said  yesterday." 

"I  think  one  cause  of  that  apathy  is  lack  of 
clearness  in  their  ideas.  Tho  all  agree  in  wanting 
the  single  tax,  they  are  divided  on  many  other 
things;  as  money,  transportation,  the  interest  ques 
tion,  and  so  on ;  and  even  over  what  they  could  do 
with  the  surplus  funds  which  some  say  the  single 
tax  would  give  the  government.  Besides,  a  lot  of 
the  old-timers  have  gone  over  to  the  socialists,  and 
others  are  heading  that  way." 

"I  am  positive  of  one  thing,  Mr.  Wynn,"  and  the 
gardener  gave  an  extra  hard  pat  to  the  soil  she  was 
putting  about  a  little  plant — for  both  were  now 
busy  rapidly  setting  out  the  seedlings  from  a  flat 
that  rested  on  the  ground  between  them — "and  that 
is  that  there  can  never  be  any  surplus  revenue  when 
the  land  question  is  actually  settled.  There  must 
be  an  exact  balance  between  revenue  and  expendi 
ture  or  the  system  cannot  meet  the  requirements  of 
a  science.  You  know  Patrick  Edward  Dove  called 
politics  'the  science  of  equity.'  There  cannot  be  a 
condition  of  equity  where  there  is  a  surplus  revenue. 
A  surplus  is  itself  evidence  that  someone  has  given 
something  for  nothing  in  the  transaction,  and  the 
scales  are  unbalanced.  Hence,  there  must  be  an 
exact  balance,  an  'equilibrium  of  equity,'  in  a  just 
land  tenure." 

Ernest  Wynn  looked  startled  for  an  instant  and 
his  eyes  grew  very  bright.  The  gardener,  bending 
low  over  her  work  nt  the  moment,  did  not  notice 


i-,i  TIIK  son,  <>r  TIM-:  WORLD 

this,  and  only  heard   tin-  words:     ''Then  you 
read  Dove?" 

"Yes.  I  confess,  tlm.  that  his  Theory  of  Human 
['regression  was  hard  reading  at  first,  and  some 
times  seemed  deadly  dull;  but  afterward,  when  I 
began  hunting  up  bits  in  it  for  use  in  argument,  I 
found  it  a  veritable  treasure  house.  Now  I  begin  bo 
appreciate  the  book  at  its  true  worth,  and  I  find  it 
wonderful  in  its  clearness  <»n  many  points." 

"My  own  experience  with  that  book  was  some 
what  similar."  Ernest  Wynn  admitted.  "As  to  the 
need  of  an  exact  balance,  I  have  been  studying  tin- 
how  and  why  for  years,  and  I  believe  that  I — well. 
I'm  writing  out  my  new  ideas.  I  am  sure  there  is 
a  direct  connection  between  the  cost  of  maintaining 
the  highways  and  the  rise  of  the  rent  of  the  land. 
Would  yon  care  to  read  my  article  when  I  have  it 
done?" 

"Very  much!  I  am  so  glad  you  an-  working 
out  that  idea.  I  will  show  you  a  paper  I  wrote 
some  months  ago  on  the  same  suh.ject,  tho  it  is  not 
finished.  T  could  not  get  it  worked  out  to  suit  me. 
and  laid  the  paper  aside.  Then  I  became  too  busy 
iri-ttincr  my  idens  of  the  past  in  shape  to  take  it  up 
again." 

"Oh,  Miss  Knight  invited  me.  and  I  promised,  to 
'_:•.,  to  their  hall  next  week  to  hear  yon  talk  on  that 
subject."  He  looked  at  her  keenly.  I, ut  she  only 
smiled  l.riirhtlv  as  she  replied:— 

"Of  e,, iirs.-  v  OH  are  interested,  for  it  is  a  matter 
of  great  importance,  and 

Auntie  (ilni.  Auntie  (lien."  a  merry  voirr  called. 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING  Go 

and  a  bright  faced  child  came  running  down  the 
walk.  "Breakfast  is  most  ready  and  Fay  has  found 
a  new  insect,  such  a  queer  one.  Won't  you  please 
come  and  tell  us  what  it  is  before  it  gets  away?" 

"In  a  moment,  Merwyn.  I  must  show  Mr.  Wynn 
where  to  wash  his  hands.  There" — she  rose  from 
the  ground — "the  whole  border  is  done,"  and  she 
led  the  way  toward  the  side  of  the  house.  "The 
lavatory  is  at  the  end  of  that  porch,"  pointing  to  a 
door  overhung  with  blooming  honeysuckle  vines, 
"and  you  can  go  right  on  thru  to  the  porch  where 
T  will  join  you  in  a  few  minutes.  Of  course  you 
will  take  breakfast  with  us." 

"Thank  you,  but  your  sister "  he  hesitated. 

"My  sister  will  be  delighted.  She  is  the  soul  of 
hospitality,  and  an  unexpected  guest  is  a  pleasure 
to  her.  Besides,  Will  wants  to  see  you  and  he  said 
last  night  that  he  will  have  to  be  away  again  this 
afternoon,  so  it  was  a  special  providence  that  led 
you  to  walk  in  this  direction  this  morning." 

"Then  I  will  gladly  stay,  for  I  very  much  wish 
to  talk  with  Mr.  Dennison,"  and  the  guest  dis 
appeared  under  the  honeysuckle  vines,  while  Glen 
Harding  followed  the  eager  child  pulling  at  her 
hand. 

The  spacious,  high  ceiled  dining  room  at  Arroyo 
Vista  seemed  a  very  pleasant  place  to  Ernest  Wynn 
that  morning.  There  were  flowers  on  the  break 
fast  table  and  a  great  bunch  of  pink  and  white 
roses  on  the  sideboard.  Flowers  peeped  in  at  the 
wide  open  windows,  and  beyond  lay  the  sunny 
garden,  while  thru  the  trees  he  caught  glimpses 


THK  ><>ri.  eXP  Tin:  \VMULI» 

of  the  delightful  Army,.  Vista  !li;it  ga\v  its  name 
to  tliis  pleasant  home.  His  host  gave  him  a  most 
e-.rdial  welcome,  and  Krnest  \Vyim  noted  with  inner 
.-satisfaction  how  well  tin-  polished  manners  ami 
frank  friendliness  of  the  man  were  set  off  by  his 
tall,  well  built  figure  and  handsome  face.  "ib 
has  just  the  sort  of  personality.  was  the  guest  \ 
thought,  "to  exert  a  strong  intlnenee  in  the  work 
for  freedom,  if  only  he  ran  he  won  to  take  a  thoroly 
active  interest  in  the  cause."  Dennison's 

greeting  was  as  friendly  as  her  husband's,  and  the 
children  were  introduced  as  Merv\yn,  Kay  and 
( 'arol,  by  their  proud  mother. 

"It  is  a  pleasure  to  see  such  a  group  of  healthy, 
happy  children,"  said  the  guest. 

"How   often    I    wish    that    all    childi-en    could    have 
•-rood  a  start  in  life  as  these  little  ones  here  are 
getting,"    observed    their    Aunt,    gravely,    as    they 
took   their  places  at   the  table. 

"They  could  have  as  good,  or  better,  nude!-  eo,uit- 
able  conditions."  said  Krnest  \Yynn.  "No  matter 
how  well  cared  for  they  may  be,  children  cannot 
have  the  best  possible  en vironment  while  obliged  to 
grow  up  in  the  midst  of  the  ugliness  and  sham  we 
call  civilization.  Even  the  best  cared  for  children 
have  to  see  and  hear  so  much  that  is  not  well  for 
anyone — that  ought  not  to  exist  at  all.'' 

"I  think  I  understand  you,"  Mrs.  Dennison  spoke 

•ioiisly.     "lint   we  cannot  make  the  world  dill'er- 

.-ni.  sn  the  best   way  I  can  see  is  for  each  of  us  to 

do  all  we  can   for  «>nr  own   little  ones  and  be  kind 

to   all    others." 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING  67 

"I  firmly  believe — in  fact,  I  know — that  the 
world  can  be  made  better,  as  far  as  the  adjustment 
of  human  association  is  concerned;  and  I  am  con 
vinced  that  active,  energetic  work  could  bring  about 
a  startling  revolution  in  a  very  few  years,"  asserted 
the  guest. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Wynn,  please  don't  talk  of  revolu 
tions,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Dennison,  with  a  shiver. 
"Surely  you  do  not  believe  in  murder  and  blood 
shed?" 

"Most  emphatically  not,"  was  the  prompt  re 
sponse.  "What  we  all  need  is  equal  freedom — the 
condition  in  which  each  person  has  freedom  to  do 
all  that  va  wills,  provided  va  infringes  not  the  like 
freedom  of  any  other — in  which  to  grow.  It  is  not, 
and  cannot  be,  possible  to  win  this  freedom  other 
wise  than  thru  entirely  peaceful  methods.  Our 
weapons  must  be  words,  spoken  and  written,  not 
swords  and  guns." 

"Oh,  then  I  don't  care  how  soon  you  bring  on 
the  revolution,"  Mrs.  Dennison  smiled  brightly  as 
she  turned  to  attend  to  the  wants  of  the  child  be 
side  her. 

"You  are  right,  Mr.  Wynn,  in  saying  we  can  hope 
for  freedom  only  thru  entirely  peaceful  methods  of 
propaganda.  But—  '  Glen  Harding  hesitated,  and 
there  was  a  shade  of  perplexity  in  her  face — "would 
you  mind  saying  over  again  the  law  of  equal  free 
dom?" 

Ernest  Wynn  smilingly  repeated  the  words. 

"It's  a  new  word,  Glen,"  her  sister  put  in 
quickly.  "You  used  that  word  several  times  yester- 


THI:  sou,  <>K  TIII:  WORLD 

day.  .Mr.  Wynn,  and  it  sounded  to  much  like  'they' 
that  at  first" — she  laughed — "I  thought  there  wax 
something  the  matter  with  your  grammar." 

Glen  Harding  looked  interested.  "Where  did  you 
get  it?  Why  do  you  use  it?"  she  asked. 

"I  found  the  word  in  one  of  the  Ralston  books. 
The  long  a  makes  the  word  sound  so  like  'they' 
that  many  persons  do  not  notice  the  difference  when 
I  am  talking  with  them." 

"I  noticed  it  right  away,"  said  Mrs.  Dennison. 
Please  tell  us  why  you  use  it." 

"It  is  a  new  pronoun,  common  gender,  third  per 
son  singular. "  explained  the  .truest.  "I  use  it  to 
avoid  the  awkward  phrase  'he  or  she,'  or  the  still 
worse,  and  utterly  nngrammatical,  use  of  the  mas 
culine  pronouns  when  speaking  of  women.  This 
misuse  of  the  masculine  pronouns  lias  now  become 
M  common  that  the  pronoun  'he'  often  refers  to  the 
word  'woman:'  while  all  persons,  adults  and  chil 
dren  alike,  are  rapidly  becoming  masculine — even 
with  some  of  <>ur  so-called  best  writers  and  speakers. 
In  stories  for  children  the  birds  and  beasts  are  also 
becoming  masculine — if  the  pronouns  used  are  any 
indication  of  their  sex,"  he  ended,  disgustedly. 

"I  never  thought  of  that,  Mr.  Wynn,"  said  Mrs. 
Dennison  :  "tho  now  you  call  my  attention  to  it  I 
remember  a  momentary  MUM  of  tin-  absurdity  of 
«uiie  remarks  I  i-ecenlh'  heard  in  which  a  woman 
was  p-tVrred  to  as  'lie'  and  a|jain  as  'him.' 

"It  is  worse  than  absurd.  Mrs.  Dennison."  the 
iruest  said,  gravely.  "The  words  used,  in  speech 
or  writinir.  react  powerfully  on  the  mind  of  the 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING  69 

user — as  well  as  influence  those  who  hear  or  read 
them — and  this  constant  use  of  masculine  pronouns 
has  the  unavoidable  effect  of  making  women  appear 
inferior  to  men,  mere  adjuncts  or  appendages.  No 
one  who  has  a  true,  a  thoroly  clear,  conception  of 
equal  freedom,  can  so  misuse  language.  *W  is  an 
eminently  fitting  addition  to  the  vocabulary  of  the 
equitist,  and  I  adopted  it  gladly.  It  is  a  great  help 
to  accurate  and  grammatical  speaking  and  writing." 

"I  always  thought  the  use  of  the  masculine  pro 
nouns  was  merely  a  convenience,  Mr.  Wynn,"  said 
his  host,  "but  there  may  be  something  in  your 
idea." 

"You  are  certainly  right,  Mr.  Wynn,  as  to  the 
effect  on  ourselves,  and  others,  of  the  words  we 
use,"  said  Glen  Harding,  thoughtfully.  "The  con 
stant  repetition  of  peace  suggestions  will  tend  to 
make  it  easier  for  people  to  see  that  true  freedom 
can  come  only  thru  the  friendly  discussions  which 
will  lead  to  a  complete  understanding  of  the  land 
question  and  how  to  settle  it." 

"That  was  one  of  the  things  Dove  did  not  see, 
in  spite  of  his  clearness  on  some  important  points," 
said  Ernest  Wynn. 

"Yes,"  agreed  Glen  Harding.  "Dove's  most 
serious  blunder  lay  in  his  failure  to  see  that  truth, 
and  the  consequent  waste  of  his  time,  money  and 
energy  in  the  study  of  war  methods  and  in  prepara 
tions  for  war." 

"What  we  have  to  do  is  to  get  people  to  see  the 
peaceful  and  easy  way  out  of  the  present  chaos," 
said  Ernest  Wynn.  "When  enough  of  them  see  it 


70  THE  SOUL  <>l    Till;    \\OHLD 

to  create  an  overwhelming  public  sentiment  in  that 
direction,  nothing  can  stop  its  peaceful  and  thoro 
application." 

"But  will  not  that  take  several  generations,  at 
least,  to  accomplish?"  asked  his  host. 

"No,  indeed!"     Ki  nest  Wynn's  eyes  were  shin 
ing.    "I  know  a  plan  by  which  we  can  get  the  sub 
ject  before  all  the  people  of  the  United  States,   in 
a  thoroly  effective  way,  in  a  very  few  years,  and 
make  it  the  leading  question  thruout  the  nation." 

"The  plan  we  discussed  sometime  ago?"  Glen 
Harding  spoke  eagerly. 

"Yes,  I  mean  your  plan,  Miss  Harding.  The 
first  thing  needed  is  to  get  single  taxers,  and  all 
others  who  care  for  freedom,  waked  up  enough  to 
set  the  plan  going." 

"We  used  to  have  a  strong  single  tax  Club  hen- 
in  Los  Angeles  county,  Mr.  \Vynn,"  observed  his 
host,  "and  I  am  sure  it  could  be  revived.  \\Y 
might  call  a  mooting  for  some  evening  next  week 
and  have  you  address  them  and  then  reorganize 
the  Club.  Could  you  be  there?  You  intend  to  stay 
here  some  time?" 

"I  may  decide  to  locate  permanently  out   ln-re. 
was  the  quick  reply.    "I  will  certainly  be  on  hand 
for  any  such  meeting.     My  main  purpose  in  life — 
until    the   cause    is   won — is   to   push    the   work    I'm- 

•  •qual   freedom  in  any  and  every  way  I  can." 

Will  Dennison  looked  pleased,  and  went  on 
briskly:  "Then  I'll  see  that  notices  are  sent  out. 
r'nmklin  has  the  list  we  used  last  winter,  and  I 

•  •an    <ret    it    today.      I    can    also   have    notices    •  »!'   tin- 


IN  THE  DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING  71 

meeting  in  the  dailies  here  and  in  Los  Angeles. 
The  meeting*  had  better  be  over  there,  you  think, 
Glen?"  he  had  caught  a  gleam  of  amusement  in  his 
sister-in-law's  eyes,  tho  her  voice  was  serious 
enough  as  she  said: — 

"I  think  it  would  be  well  to  have  a  meeting,  over 
there,  and  one  here,  too,  and  get  up  two  active 
clubs  as  soon  as  possible.  But,  Will,  I  don't  believe 
the  postal  notices,  will  do  a  bit  of  good.  Have  you 
forgotten  our  experience  last  winter?  You  see," 
she  turned  to  their  guest  with  the  explanation, 
"when  the  lecture  I  spoke  of  was  under  considera 
tion  among  a  few  single  taxers,  we  sent  out  postal 
notices  for  a  meeting  of  the  Club.  Tho  we  sent  to 
all,  on  a  list  of  several  hundred,  whose  addresses 
we  thought  at  all  likely  to  be  still  correct,  only 
eight  persons,  including  Will  and  myself,  were 
there — and  two  of  the  eight  came  because  they  saw 
the  notice  in  the  papers.  I  think  it  would  be  a 
waste  of  time  and  postage  to  try  that  plan  again." 

"Well,  what  can  we  do?"  Will  Dennison  looked 
rather  helpless. 

"Suppose  you  give  me  the  list,"  suggested  Ernest 
Wynn.  "Tell  me  where  you  want  them  to  meet, 
and  whatever  you  can,  about  the  people  themselves. 
Then  I  will  put  in  some  time  in  hunting  them  up 
and  try  to  get  them  enough  interested  to  turn  out. 
From  what  Miss  Harding  has  told  me,  I  judge  there 
are  enough  single  taxers  in  this  county  alone  to 
form — if  once  waked  up — an  invincible  nucleus  for 
a  strong  national  organization." 

His  host  looked  relieved.    "That's  a  mighty  good 


n  THE  sou.  OF  mi:  WOULD 

plan,"  he  assented,  heartily.  "It'  yon  can  go  down 
t<>  my  ofii<-e  with  UK-  this  morning,  I'll  phone 
Franklin  to  l>e  there  with  the  list,  and  1  think  I 
•  •an  get  hold  of  one  or  two  others  who  may  help 
look  up  the  rest,"  he  added  as  they  all  rose  from 
the  table. 

"All  right,  I  am  entirely  at  your  service  in  this 
rause."  said  Frnest  Wynn. 

"lint.  Papa,  ean't  we  show  .Mr.  Wynii  our  play 
house  and  sand  bed  In-fore  he  geeftf"  asked  Merwyn 
anxiously,  while  little  Fay  caught  the  guest's  hand 
to  detain  him. 

"Yes.  to  l»e  sure  you  can,"  smiled  papa,  "if  he 
wants  to  see  them.  I'll  call  up  Franklin  from  here 
and  let  you  know.  Mr.  Wynn.  when  I  am  ready  to 
•TO  down  town. 

"Show  Mr.  Wynn  the  south  1'euee  and  the  orange 
trees,  children,"  said  their  aunt,  "he  likes  Mowers." 

"  We  will.  Auntie  Glen.  Come  quick,  Mr.  Wynn," 
and  they  led  the  way  into  the  garden,  little  Carol 
clinging  to  his  hand  while  Merwyn  and  Fay  ran  on 
and  back  again.  The  row  of  four  orange  trees 
might  have  seemed  but  giant  bouquets  of  waxen 
lilossoms  had  not  their  sweetness  proclaimed  life 
and  growth.  The  south  fence  proved  to  be  about 
six  feet  high  and  was  entirely  concealed  by  a  mass 
of  bloom  formed  by  a  dense  growth  of  Australian 
pea  vine  in  full  flower,  the  dainty  pinkish,  lavender 
and  purple  blossoms  suggesting  a  miniature  spray 
of  wistaria.  Here  and  there  the  dense  cluster  of 
flowers  of  a  pink  ivy  geranium  showed  among  the 
pea  blossoms,  while  along  the  ground  ran  the  riot- 


IN   TJIE   DAWN   OF  THE  MOENINQ  7:'. 

«ms  reds  and  yellows  of  nasturtiums.  Then  several 
yards  of  fence  was  covered  writh  honeysuckles  and 
white  roses,  and  again  the  pea  vine  asserted  itself 
to  run  riot  over  the  front  of  the  playhouse,  at 
which  the  children  stopped  and  began  to  show  their 
treasures. 

"See  sand  bed,"  said  baby  Carol,  pointing  to  the 
boxed-in  square  of  clean  sand,  now  heaped  up  all 
about  by  little  hands. 

Ernest  Wynn  gave  himself  up  thoroly  for  the 
time  to  the  children,  too  far  away  to  hear  the  com 
ments  of  those  who  watched  the  scene  from  the 
side  porch. 

"I  never  saw  anyone  like  him  before,  Birdie," 
remarked  Will  Dennison,  who  had  just  come  out  to 
look  for  their  guest. 

"I  like  him,"  said  Mrs.  Dennison,  a  pleased  light 
in  her  eyes.  "He  is  not  pretending.  He  really 
wanted  to  go  with  the  children,  and  you  can  see 
he  is  having  a  good  time  with  them." 

"He  seems  to  me  to  be  in  more  downright  earnest 
for  true  freedom  than  anyone  I  ever  met  before," 
Glen  Harding  observed,  thoughtfully. 

Her  sister  gave  her  a  keen  glance  of  scrutiny, 
but  made  no  remark. 


CHAPTER  5 


THK   STOU'Y    OK  T11K    I'AST. 

On  the  follo\\  -ing  Thursday  evening,  a  little  ahr.nl 
of  the  time  set  for  the  meeting.  Krnest  \Vynn 
entered  tile  Hall  of  the  Metaphysical  Club.  Several 
persons  were  already  there,  and  (Irani  Norwood 
came  quickly  forward  to  im-ei  him. 

"I'm  so  glad  you  came  early.  Krnest.  for  1  wanf 
to  introduce  ymi  to  Tremont  hefore  tin-  meet  in-; 
begins.  Here  he  is.  Let  me  make  yon  ae<|iiaint  d. 
Mr.  Tremont.  this  is  my  friend.  Mr.  \Vynn." 

The  two  men  shook  hands  and.  half  nneon- 
seioiisly.  took  a  mental  inventory  of  each  oilier,  as 
they  exchanged  the  conventional  greetings. 

"A  little  man,  hut  he  has  a  sincere  air  ahont 
him  and  may  amount  to  something.  1  wonder  if 
he  has  met  Miss  Harding  yet."  and  Arthur  Tremont 
almost  smiled  as  the  fancy  orowed  his  mind  that 
he  mi^ht  find  a  possihle  rival  in  this  new-comei- 
among  them. 

"A  tine  looking  man."  thought  Krnest  \Vynn.  as 
he  took  note  of  the  well  knit  figure  of  hetter  height 
than  his  own.  the  smooth  face  and  pleasant  hi-own 
Byet,  now  alight  with  cordial  friendliness;  and  he 
felt  airain  Hie  clasp  <>\'  a  soft,  yet  firm  white  hand. 
Involuntarily  he  looked  down  at  his  own  hands  and 
reali/ed  that  they  lacked  the  smoothness  and  white 
of  those  nnacciisim 1  t<>  manual  toil. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  PAST  75 

He  was  not  left  long  to  his  own  thoughts.  Peo 
ple  were  coming  in  and  Grant  Norwood  introduced 
him  to  this  one  and  that,  until  quite  a  crowd  had 
gathered.  Then  there  was  a  slight  stir  and  flutter 
of  expectation  as  those  about  him  turned  to  look 
toward  the  main  entrance.  "Miss  Harding  has 
come  and  the  Japanese  is  with  her,  I  wonder  how 
that  happened,"  Grant  Norwood  whispered  to  him 
in  a  quick  aside  as  he  passed  him  to  greet  the  new 
comers. 

Ernest  Wynn  glanced  toward  the  doorway  and 
astonishment  shone  for  a  moment  in  his  eyes. 
Could  that  lovely  vision  of  a  woman  be  the  plainly 
dressed  gardener  to  whom  he  had  talked  so  freely? 
Her  gown,  set  off  by  silver  ornaments,  was  of  some 
filmy  material  that  seemed  to  float  about  her,  and 
in  texture  and  color  suggested  a  bit  of  the  rose- 
hued  clouds  of  the  dawn  sky.  Her  mass  of  brown 
hair,  piled  high,  was  held  in  place  by  silver  pins; 
and  he  thought  her  eyes  shone  with  the  clear  bright 
ness  of  the  morning  stars. 

What  fancies!  Ernest  Wynn  gave  himself  a 
mental  shake  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  Jap 
anese.  As  tall  as  Tremont  and  of  a  heavier  build, 
he  had  a  noticeably  fine  form ;  while  there  was  an 
indescribable  grace,  and  yet  an  air  of  firmness  and 
purpose  in  his  every  movement.  Thick,  jet  black 
hair,  and  a  small  black  mustache  served  to  lighten 
by  contrast  the  light,  yet  brown  tinted  face,  from 
which  a  pair  of  dark  eyes  looked  out  in  serious 
thoughtfulness.  Altogether,  a  man  it  would  bo 


:<-,  Tin-:  soHL  OF  'i  HI: 

well   to  know.      A   man   who   iiinzhi    do  things  of  1111 
portance  to  his  race. 

Turning  t<>  b".k  about  l'«»r  a  fftftt,  Bffctfl  Wynn 
paused  inslantly  as  a  musical  voice  met  liis  car: 
"Wait.  .Mr.  \Yynn.  we  have  a  moment  yet  and  I 
want  y«»u  to  inert  Mr.  Motora.  Mr  is  deeply  inter 
ested  in  sociology.  Mr.  Motora.  Mr.  \Vyn;i,"  and 
tl)e  vision  in  rose  and  silver  passed  on  toward  the 
stajre.  leaving  the  1\\o  m-'ii  to  <:\ •«•••!  eaeh  ether  and 
find  Beats  together;  which  tliry  did.  all  unconscious 
of  the  slight  fi-own  that  shaded  Arthur  Tremont  \ 
for  an  instant  as  he  not.-d  tin-  ei>isodc. 

"My  friends.  I  want  y<>u  i«>  £'>  Im.-k  wiMi  inr  this 
rvninir  to  the  far  distant  pnst.  \\hi-u  <»nr  world  and 
its  people  wei-e  still  iinniat  u  re. "  (Jlen  Ilardine; 
began,  and  her  clear,  puiv  tones  e;ii-]-ied  her  wor«U 
distinctly  to  every  part  of  the  well  filled  hall. 

"I  have  been  asked  to  tell  you  something  of  th'1 
time  when  the  Lr<>ds — tjie  Devas.  the  briuht  ones — 
were  still  visible  ami  taught  all  soils  of  things  to 
an  adnrinjr  humanity:  of  the  time  when  the  White 
I'.rot  lid-hood  were  leaders  and  guides  in  the  develop 
ment  of  tin1  impressible  minds  of  all  earth's  chil 
drcn.  When  Those  Above  set  tin-  daily  lessons  in 
the  great  school  of  life 

"It  is  a  liMitr  journry  backward  on  which  I  wish 
to  take  yon.  and  a  strange  >lory  that  I  have  to  tell. 
P.ut  if  you  will  come  with  me  I  will  show  yon  many 
wonders  of  which  you  have  not  dreamed. 

"In  that  lonvr  fortr-'ltcn  pssi  we  will  find  the 
roots  of  all  the  irrowths  of  later  times.  In  the  story 
of  iliat  earl  aj^e  we  Irani  how  we  cainr  1  •»  be  what 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  PAST  77 

wo  are  today,  and  I  want  you — every  one  of 
you" — the  speaker's  voice,  mellow  and  clear,  held 
ji.  thread  of  mingled  persuasion  and  command — "to 
go  with  me  now,  back  into  that  past;  so  that  you, 
too.  may  see  and  know  its  grandeur  and  its  sim 
plicity,  its  wonder  and  enchantment.  I  want  all 
the  beauty  and  pleasure  of  that  marvelous  early 
time  to  become  a  part  of  your  lives  today — as  it  is 
of  mine."  She  paused  a  moment,  and  her  large 
gray  eyes,  sweeping  slowly  over  her  audience,  rested 
for  an  instant  on  the  intent  face  of  Inazo  Motora 
and  then  caught  the  questioning  gaze  of  Ernest 
Wynn.  A  slight  smile  parted  her  lips  and  she 
went  on  : — 

"Our  journey  tonight  is  back  to  the  old  home — 
the  roof  that  once  sheltered  all  earth's  people,  and 
made  of  them  one  great  family  of  children,  varying 
in  complexion,  but  of  like  needs  and  capacities. 

"  'All  discoveries  and  prehistoric  studies,'  says 
the  Marquis  De  Nadaillac,  'testify  to  the  unity  of 
the  human  species  in  all  regions.  .  .  .  It  is  not 
alone  by  his  bony  structure  that  this  identity  of 
man  in  all  time  and  in  all  regions  is  to  be  affirmed. 
Tn  my  long  anthropological  studies  I  have  been 
more  than  once  surprised  to  encounter  everywhere 
the  same  manifestation  of  man's  intelligence — the 
same  creations  due  to  his  initiative.  When  we  visit 
the  prehistoric  collections  in  our  museums  we  are 
astonished  to  see  everywhere  the  same  forms  and 
processes  of  work  and  labor,  and  these  among  peo 
ples  separated  by  broad  oceans  or  by  arid  deserts.' 

"To    those    who    Know,    the    explanation    of    this 


78  Till-;   SOUL   OK  T1IK    WOKLD 

unity  of  tin*  luunaii  species  is  easy.  \Ye  were  all 
children  together,  learning  our  lessons  from  the 
same  great  picture  book,  in  the  world's  first  Kin 
dergarten  and  Manual  Training  school.  It  is  about 
smiie  ,,f  the  marvels  of  those  original  school  da\s  I 
am  to  tell  you  tonight."  Glen  Harding  smiled 
brightly,  but  there  was  a  far  away  look  in  her  eyes. 

"In  that  elder  time,  when  humanity  was  younir. 
our  earth  was  still  wrapped  in  its  last  swaddling 
robe  of  aqueous  vapors — as  the  planet  .lupiter  is 
today.  Looked  at  from  outside,  thru  our  tele 
scopes — as  many  of  you  have  doubtless  seen  it— 
that  vapory  shell  on  .Jupiter  is  a  continually  chang 
ing  picture,  varying  in  color  from  day  to  day,  ami 
showing  ever  ii'-w  and  y.-;  enfeB  repeated  stripes  and 
hands  and  spots.  Some  years  ai^o  watching  astron 
oiners  s,-i\v  lari:e  masses  of  .lupiter's  covering  fall 
in  at  one  of  its  poles,  which  necessarily  left  an 
opening  in  the  circimipolar  regions. 

"During  the  childhood  and  youthtime  of  human 
ity — as  a  race— our  globe  had  a  similar  world-roof, 
with  polar  doors  or  windows,  thru  which  the  dawn 
ing  intelligence   of   persons   <-}mghf    glimpses   of   the 
outer   universe. 

"This  watery  covering,  or  celestial  ocean  of 
vapors,  formed  a  most  wonderful  picture  book— 
an  illuminated  scroll  as  larire  as  the  givat  round 
sky — to  the  childish  eyes  that  watched  it  as  it 
revolved  rapidly  around  the  earth  and  at  the  same 
time  Moated  slowly,  but  steadily,  on  its  spiral  path 
from  the  reLTions  above  the  equator  to  its  circum- 
p..lar  ••mlinir  places.  Thc^e  were  about  the  regions 


THE  STOKY  OF  THE  PAST  79 

we  now  know  as  the  arctic  and  antarctic  circles; 
but  I  will  talk  to  you  tonight  only  of  scenes  and 
features  in  that  world  kindergarten  picture-book 
as  they  appeared  when  view  from  our  own  home 
in  the  northern  hemisphere. 

"Come  with  me,  my  friends,  back  to  that  earlier 
time,  when  our  sun  of  today  had  not  yet  found  its 
place  in  the  heavens.  Instead  of  seeing  the  clear 
blue  sky  of  this  favored  land,  look  up  with  mental 
vision  into  an  ocean  of  watery  vapors.  See  them 
spreading  out  in  the  zenith  like  enormous  fans  and 
narrowing  gradually  into  rows  of  bristling  points 
far  down  on  the  east  and  west  horizons.  Watch 
how  they  go,  whirling,  writhing,  coiling,  twisting, 
and  piling  upon  each  other,  as  they  move  rapidly 
from  horizon  to  zenith  and  from  zenith  to  horizon ; 
and  at  the  same  time  almost  imperceptibly,  yet 
unceasingly,  toward  that  giant  vortex  in  the  north 
pojar  sky,  formed  by  the  gathering  and  fall  of 
revolving  vapors. 

"There  in  the  north  polar  heaven  was  the  place 
of  concentrated  glory,  for  a  vapor  heaven  is  made 
up  of  bands  and  belts  and  lines,  and  every  band 
and  belt  and  line  had  to  end  its  career  as  an  arch 
or  crescent  in  that  vast  arc  world — a  world  called 
the  moon  land  or  crescent  land  long  before  our 
moon  of  today  was  seen. 

"There,  too,  formed  by  the  opening  in  the  celes 
tial  waters,  was  the  one  still  place,  the  isle  of  stars, 
the  Jade  stone,  the  adamantine  rock,  a  portion  of 
the  true  sky,  as  seen  thru  the  great  hole  in  our 
world  covering.  Tt  was  the  one  enduring  Rock  in 


•mi-:  jsot'L  ot    i  in.  \\<»I;L i> 

the    midst    nf   ;in    ever   moving,     whirling,     chan- 
906116. 

•'Tin-  sun  poured  its  beams  into  lhat  vast  vapor 
shell,  heiier  there  could  be  no  real  ni^ht  durum 
'•aiiopy  times.  The  tune  \\  e  no\v  call  m«_rht  \\a^" 
llien  only  a  inure  shaded  day.  Life  was  easy  ami 
lodg;  f<»r  our  water  heaven  acted  as  a  hothouse  roof 
and  kept  out  the  maturing,  and  therefore  death- 
dealinir.  rays  ol'  the  sun.  lint  that  sun  poured  its 
lijzht  steadily  into  our  watery  heaven  and  at  certain 
times  Hooded  with  an  indescribably  daxxling  bril 
liancy  the  north  polar  opening  and  its  environs 
All  who  looked  up  saw  everywheiv  liirht  and  color 
and  movement,  ever  variant,  yet  ever  repeated. 

"In  our  childhood  all  that  moved  had  lil'e  and 
all  that  lived  was  consciously  alive.  Hence,  to  the 
adorinir  eyes  of  earth's  children  those  watery 
vapors  were  a  celestial  ocean  on  which  rode  the 
ships  of  the  L.r"ds.  The  (juiet  spot  in  the  midst  «»f 
the  waters  was  the  manifested  isle,  the  'isle  of 
innocence'  on  which  many  gods  were  burn,  for  in 
that  spot  those  divine  beings  were  first  seen  as  very 
little  things  the  infant  Xciis  was  the  infant  heaven. 
the  little  heaven. 

"Ttie  spiral  line  formed  a  pathway  for  marchui'_r 
hosts.  In  that  march  of  caiiopx  forms  \\  e  have  the 
original  Hocks  and  herds,  the  celestial  cattle  of  the 
Lrods.  We  ean  now  understand  why  the  word 
penis-  which  at  a  later  day  was  applied  to  telTdfl 
trial  domestic  animals — held  the  meaninir  «»f  unceas 
ing  movement.  The  original  pecus  never  stopped, 
never  rested  by  the  \\-ay.  This  has  Driven  us  ;\\< •• 


K  8TOKY  OF  THE  PAST  81 

the  word  pecuniary,  an  apt  name  for  currency  that 
passes  from  hand  to  hand  in  a  never  ceasing  round 
of  exchange.  Those  celestial  forms  and  features 
never  paused,  never  slept;  they  changed,  but  thru 
all  their  changes  they  kept  up  their  never  halting 
march  to  the  great  gathering  place  in  the  polar 
sky.  Well  was  it  called  the  'Mount  of  Assembly 
in  the  Sides  of  the  North.' 

"In  that  enchanted  celestial  land,  where  at  some 
time  shone  every  hue  in  the  chromatic  scale,  was 
raised  the  great  city  of  the  gods — of  the  gods  of 
all  peoples — whose  walls  were  built  of  sunlight  and 
vapor,  put  up  'without  sound  of  hammer.'  That 
north  polar  opening  was  Heaven's  door,  the  en 
trance  into  the  unseen  glories  beyond  the  envelop 
ing  waters.  There  was  the  Seat  of  the  Judge,  for 
the  giant  vortex  kept  the  Wheel  of  the  Law  in 
constant  motion. 

"Now-a-days  we  are  told  that  'the  higher  enjoy 
ment  of  nature  is  connected  with  the  scientific 
establishment  of  cosmic  laws,'  and  that  'the  con 
junction  of  the  two  serves  to  raise  human  nature 
to  a  higher  stage  of  perfection.' 

"In  the  childhood  of  humanity  the  celestial 
world — as  well  as  the  terrestrial — was  under  the 
control  of  visible  cosmic  law.  Themis,  goddess  of 
Law,  taught  us  many  things,  and,  we  human  beings 
recognized  that  even  the  gods  were  subject  to  the 
orderly  trend.  The  power  of  cosmic  law  was  visible 
in  the  heavens,  and  particularly  in  the  northern 
sky,  where  the  great  La\v  Wheel  was  at  times  an 
all-commanding  feature. 


Till:  BOUL  OF  THE   \VoKLI> 

"This  Wheel  of  tin'  Law  was  a  visible  M6D6  in 
tin-  north  polar  sky.  where  tin-  vast  vortex  of  waterv 
rapOTSj  lighted  by  the  beams  of  the  hidden  sun. 
made  a  magnificent  turning  scene.  Wheels  and 
rin.Lrs  and  arches  made  a  spectacular  display  oi' 
color  and  form  and  movement  <>i'  which  I  can  irive 
yon  only  a  fleeting  <rlimp.se  until  your  minds  an- 
trained  t«»  lit  the  larger  vision  and  you  see  it  with 
out  my  help  ! 

"In  that  giant  vortex  originated  the  tire  drill 
and  the  adoration  or  prayer  wheel.  That  vast 
tnniinjr  scene  \\  as  the  helix  of  the  world,  the  center 
of  the  universe.  The  heaven  of  canopy  times  was 
the  universe  to  earth'>  children:  the  word  uni- 
v.'i-sc  meaning  simply  'the  One  who  turns'  or  'the 
turning  of  the  One.' 

"High  up  in  the  xenith  heaven  dwelt  the  White 
Brotherhood,  those  hurlier  li.irnres  of  purest  white, 
lonj;  known  as  amcmir  the  earliest  of  the 
of  human  hoinjrs. 

"But  you  wish  to  know  what  the  divine 
taught  us  in  that  .Manual  Training  s.-hool.  while 
we  of  the  human  family  were  children  and  growing 
\oiith.  and  1  will  try  to  tell  you  a  few  things  ifl 
they  come  back  to  me."  Glen  Harding'*  voice  took 
on  a  softly  reminiscent  tone,  and  her  darkening 
eyee  had  a  far-o!V  look  in  their  depths.  xiiLTL-vst  j\-e 
of  glimpses  do\vn  the  vista  of  the  a( 

"Bear    in    mind."    she    went     on.    "that     all    life 
manifests    itself  in   action,   and    that    imitative   action 
is  th«-  BtTOBgeri    trait    of  childhood;  is.  ind'-.-d.   BOMB 
tial    to    its    existence    and     irrowth:     an«l     you     will 


T1IU  STORY  OF  THE  PAST  83 

readily  understand  how  the  gods  taught  us,  as 
children — by  giving  us  patterns  to  imitate. 

"The  divine  beings  in  that  wonderful  world  on 
high,  and  especially  in  and  about  the  marvelous 
polar  opening,  or  celestial  earth,  Avere  aHvays 
active,  always  working,  always  making  something. 
Human  eyes  saw  those  things  and  tried  to  imitate 
their  form  and  eolor  in  terrestrial  materials.  Beads, 
for  instance,  are  scattered  all  over  the  world  and 
are  made  of  every  possible  sort  of  material.  The 
art  of  boring  is  so  ancient  that  the  most  careful 
research  has  failed  to  find  a  time,  since  persons 
lived  on  earth,  when  it  was  not  known  and  prac 
ticed.  Of  course  not,  for  the  great  celestial  bore 
in  the  northern  sky — which  gave  its  name  to  that 
land  of  the  Hyperboreans — formed  the  most  strik 
ing  scene  to  meet  the  eyes  and  dawning  conscious 
ness  of  our  earth's  children. 

"The  origin  of  the  fire  drill,  also,  has  had  to  be 
put  farther  and  farther  back.  .  Why?  Because  the 
god  of  fire  had  a  place  in  that  wondrous  northern 
scene;  and  the  vertical  shaft  of  light,  the  divine 
fire  stick,  turned  in  its  notch  in  that  gigantic  vor 
tex;  and  when  the  hands  of  persons  on  our  planet 
fashioned  stick  and  hole,  and  imitated  the  move 
ments  of  the  god  of  fire,  terrestrial  fire  was  pro 
duced. 

"There,  too,  was  located  the  original  potter's 
wheel;  and  the  gods  turned  out  all  manner  of 
handicrafts  from  that  celestial  workshop.  Bowls 
and  baskets,  vases  of  all  sorts  of  shapes  were  pro 
duced  by  the  continually  changing  shape  of  the 


Til]-:  s< >u.  <>r  THK  w< n;u> 

;unl  its  environs,  as  vapoi^  P-lled  up  and 
lell  away;  and  also  by  every  change  in  the  l<»ea- 
tiun  of  tin-  observer  on  our  earth. 

"It  has  long  been  noticed  thai  all  peoples  in  the 
earliest  times  show  an  appreciation  ol'  beauty  and 
irraee.  using  curves  and  circles  and  spirals  ol'  per- 
I'eei  proportion,  to  shape  and  ornament  even  th«- 
rudest  materials  and  commonest  utensils.  What 
wonder  that  this  should  be  so.  when  we  had  the 
divine  pattern  as  our  only  rule  and  iruide.  In  thus,' 

•  •elrstial     patterns    the    lines    and    proportions    W6W 

prrl'erl.      alld      the     patience     of     OUr      teaehel-     seemed 

infinite,  as  the  lessons  were  repeated   over  and   o\«-r 
and  o\vr  airain  thru  the  passing  years  and  centuries. 

"The  white  heaven,  with  its  bands  and  belts  and 
lines,  interweaving  and  separating,  joininic  and 
raveling  out,  irave  lessons  in  the  art  ol'  weaving. 
While  the  divine  spinner  was  ever  busy  at  the  jrreal 
relestial  spindle  in  the  polar  sky;  and  the  whorls 
Or  spindles  found  today  in  such  abundance  in  all 
parts  of  the  world  attest  the  widely  scattered  loca 
tions  of  pupils  of  that  great  traeher  who,  in  weav 
in«r  the  robes  Tor  goddesses  and  iiods.  taught  human 
beings  how  to  fashion  mats  and  blankets  and  gar- 
meiil.s  Tor  themselves. 

"The  creator,  the  divine  worker,  was  the  orig 
inal  builder,  the  first  carpenter.  Human  e\rs  saw 
the  building  of  celestial  temples  and  palaces,  of 

•  •ities  and    villages,   in   the  vapor   world    above.      All 
the    arches    and    rolh.nades.    pillars    and    shafts,    tem 
ples  and  pyramids,  tombs  and  city  walls,  the  domes 
and    spires   <-n    our    Lrlobe.    are    but    crude    imitations 


Til  10  STORY   OF  THE   PAST  S5 

of  divine  originals  once  seen  by  human  eyes  and 
imitated  by  human  hands:  arid  thus  architecture 
was  taught  us  by  the  gods. 

''The  leader  of  our  friends,  the  monists,  tells  us 
that  there  is  a  'universal  substance'  or  'divine 
nature  of  the  world'  which  'shows  us  two  different 
aspects  of  being,  or  two  fundamental  attributes — 
matter  infinitely  extended  (substance)  and  spirit 
(the  all-embracing  energy  of  thought),'  and  that 
all  the  things  we  see  about  us,  and  we  ourselves, 
are  but  transitory  forms.  Looking  up  into  the 
watery  heaven  of  primitive  times  we  saw  'sub 
stance'  under  the  control  of,  and  inseparable  from, 
moving  force  or  energy,  which  constantly  created 
new  forms  and  combinations  of  forms,  and  unceas 
ingly  repeated  certain  figures  and  combinations  at 
regular  intervals.  This  was  divine  thought  mani 
fested,  and  it  spoke  a  message  from  deity,  to  the 
growing  minds  of  human  beings.  Every  new  mani 
festation  was  a  'thus  saith  the  Lord'  to  the  watch 
ing  eyes  of  the  seers  of  that  elder  time — and  they 
interpreted  it  for  the  rest  of  us  for  all  time. 

''This  monist  leader  speaks  of  'the  all-embracing 
energy  of  thought'  in  total  unconsciousness  of  the 
fact  that  in  an  earlier  age  a  visible  'substance' 
moving  around  our  globe — Varuna,  the  all-embrac 
ing  world-cover — helped  to  indelibly  impress  on 
the  minds  of  earth's  children  a  consciousness  of 
the  moving  energy  of  thought.  Hence  we  say  that 
'Thought  works  out  in  action.' 

"In  the  childhood  and  youthtime  of  humanity 
the  thought  of  deity  was  manifested  in  the  work 


Tin-:  BOUL  OP  THI-:  \YI>KIJ> 

<>f  deity.  Kvery  new  exhibition  .,n  high. 
change  in  scene  and  feature  in  tin-  celestial  world 
of  waters  was  a  thought  of  Deity  told  out,  spoken 
tn  all  whose  growing  intelligence  could  comprehend 
it.  Tliis  was  the  original  Minted  thought.'  for  all 
the  colors  we  know  had  their  part  at  some  time  in 
that  vast  sky  piet  ure-bonk.  with  its  vividly  illum 
inated  frontispiece  in  the  north  polar  heaven, 
color  and  tint  and  shade  meant  a  change  in 
in  the  divine  world,  and  held  n  meaning 
for  the  wise  ones  on  <»ur  planet  who  watched  with 
a  growing  Understanding  the  actions  of  Those 
Above. 

"In  that  polar  world  was  the  well  of  wisdom  and 
source  or  fountain  of  knowledge,  from  which,  as 
a  central  root,  all  our  wealth  of  language  and 
literature  has  sprung.  Tin-  oracular  north  was  the 
Month  of  Deity,  and  each  feature  and  scene  and 
•  •oiidition.  as  it  was  translated  into  the  daily  life 
of  human  beings,  heeame  a  sign,  a  word,  and  thus 
language  was  born. 

".Mathematics,  too.  was  taught  by  the  gods  to 
the  developing  minds  of  the  children  of  our  earth, 
thru  the  exact  balance.  peHV-i  proportion  and 
constant  repetition  of  certain  lines  and  figures, 
iCenafc  nnd  conditions,  iu  the  ce|.-stial  world  of  that 
earlier  time.  Persons  learned  to  measure  time  and 
spaec  and  to  calculate  what  would  be  from  what 
was  and  what  had  been. 

"In   that    divine    world   of  prismatic    L'lory   dwelt 
the    Muses     for    oriirinal    music     was     perfect     liar 
iiioiiy  i»f  movement,  and  the  'mnsie.  of  the  spheres' 


THE  STOET  OF  THE  PAST  87 

was  the  visible  movement  of  the  circles  and  wheels 
and  orbs  in  that  vast  center  of  attraction — the 
home  of  Love  and  abode  of  Desire — the  brilliantly 
radiant  north  polar  opening  and  its  environs.  All 
beauty  and  glory  centered  there.  Forms  and  fea 
tures  from  all  parts  of  the  wide  heavens  journeyed 
to  that  one  great  meeting  place.  Dancing  and 
racing,  hunting  and  trading,  war  and  peace,  work 
and  play,  had  their  places  in  that  scene  of  constant 
animation.  What  wonder  that  we  human  children 
learned  thoroly.  in  such  an  environment,  the  les 
sons  given  us  by  the  divine  teachers! 

''At  last  there  came  a  time  when  the  Great 
Teacher  disappeared — when  the  White  Brother 
hood  departed — and  humanity  was  left  to  its  own 
devices,  to  work  out  in  a  beautiful  world  the  les" 
sons  taught  by  Those  Above.  Some  of  these  lessons 
have  been  long  forgotten,  but  they  are  coming 
back  to  us  now  in  the  clear  light  of  truth. 

"Oh,  my  friends!" — Glen  Harding's  eyes  shone 
darkly  luminous  as  she  looked  into  the  intent  faces 
before  her — "I  have  given  you  but  the  tiniest 
glimpse  into  the  wonders  of  our  marvelous  past. 
The  story  is  as  endless  as  time  and  as  varied  as 
all  possible  human  knowledge.  I  want  you  to  see 
it  for  yourselves!  T  long  to  have  you  realize  its 
grandeur  and  its  glory,  its  beauty  and  its  hope ! 
The  clear  knowledge  of  our  past,  that  is  no\v  open 
to  us,  throws  a  flood  of  light  on  our  present  prob 
lems  and  future  possibilities — but  I  may  not  say 
more  tonight."  She  turned  away  amid  a  low  mur 
mur  of  applause. 


Tin:  XML  OF  mi:  WORLD 

Grant  Norwood  rose  and  made  some  remark^ 
but  what  he  said  was  wholly  lost  to  his  old  friend, 
whose  eves  ;iii,l  mind  tallowed  (lien  Harding  ;is  she 
resumed  her  seat  among  the  palms  ;ind  pink  and 
white  roses,  thus  unconsciously  making  <>f  hers'-lf 
a  picture  that  Krnest  Wynn  felt  he  could  B6T6T 
Eofget  He  wantt-d  to  talk  to  her.  In  ;isk  her  <pies- 
tions.  Imt  he  had  to  wait.  h>r  (Jrant  Norwood  was 
annoimcinLr  the  next  speaker,  and  he  found  that 
Arthur  Tivim.nt  was  to  give  a  talk  on  reinearna- 
tion. 

Wishing  to  understand  the  subject  and  to  learn 
something,  also,  of  the  mental  attitude  of  the  man. 
Krnest  Wynn  tried  to  concentrate  his  attention  on 
the  speaker.  |>nt  the  address  seemed,  to  his  logical 
mind,  sadly  lai-kinir  in  clearness,  and  appeared  at 
times  even  eont  radietory ;  and  he  soi-n  found  hini- 
gelf  more  interested  in  wateliin«r  the  etl'e«-t  of 
Arthur  Tremont 's  talk  on  the  hri^rhtly  earnest  fan- 
nndei-  the  palms. 

That  expressive  face1  showed  sneh  a  live  inn-rest 
and  evident  comprehension  of  the  subject  that 
Ki-Tvst  Wynn  marveled.  Vet  when,  two  or  three 
times.  IMM-  eyes  met  his,  he  felt  that  her  niiiek  jrlan-'e 
and  smile  hold  a  meaning,  a  siL'niticance.  that  he 
wholly  failed  to  eateh.  Vaguely,  lie  roali/.ed  that 
she  expected  an  understanding  on  his  part  that  he 
ennld  not  <rive.  The  feeling  passed  like  a  Hash.  \e1 

e;jeh     time     it     left     him     pn/./.led.     J)erplc\ed.     wnnd-'i1 
injr.      Then    he    tried    airain.    and    tliis    time    iUOC< 
fully,  to  fix  his  mind  mi   Arthur  T^emont^  sm«»othly 
speech. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  PAST  89 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  Ernest  Wynn  at  once 
made  his  way  toward  Glen  Harding,  but  there  was 
a  little  crowd  around  her  and  he  had  barely 
reached  her  side  when  he  heard  Will  Dennison 's 
voice  behind  him,  saying,  "Are  you  ready,  Glen? 
Birdie  is  waiting  in  the  auto."  Then,  as  he  turned, 
the  voice  took  on  a  touch  of  surprise,  tho  the 
owner's  hand  clasp  was  cordial:  "You  here,  too, 
Wynn!  I  didn't  know  you  were  interested  in  this 
sort  of  thing.  We  have  a  spare  seat  in  the  auto — 
I  run  it  myself — let  us  take  you  home.  The  ride 
is  fine  on  such  a  clear  night  and  I'd  like  to  know 
how  you  are  getting  along  in  stirring  up  the  single 
taxers.  We  must  have  that  meeting  soon  and  get 
a  strong  Club  started." 

Ernest  Wynn  gladly  accepted  the  invitation— 
and  then  found  it  hard  work  to  keep  his  resolu 
tion  not  to  tell  all  his  thought  until  Will  Denni- 
son's  mind  should  be  more  fully  prepared  to  grasp 
it.  There  was  a  lively  discussion,  into  which  Glen 
Harding  entered  ardently,  as  to  the  best  way  to 
rouse  an  enthusiasm  that  appeared  to  be  sleeping 
all  too  soundly  in  the  minds  of  once  active  fol 
lowers  of  Henry  George.  No  word  was  spoken 
about  the  meeting  he  had  just  left,  and  Ernest 
Wynn  remembered  that  his  friend  had  said  that 
Mrs.  Dennison  was  not  interested  in  her  sister's 
metaphysical  studies,  and  that  Will  Dennison  was 
a  strict  Presbyterian  and  would  have  nothing  to 
do  with  Theosophy. 


rilAI'TKR    fi. 


TI1K   rmi.nii'KVS    PIOKIO. 

It  wa>  about  1\vn  weeks  later.  on  a  Friday  even 
ing,  in  he  exact,  lliat  Krnest  YVynii  received  a 
note  which  pleased  him  a  i:i>»d  deal.  He  had  spent 
most  of  the  time  during  that  two  weeks  in  and 
around  Los  Angeles,  looking  np  and  interviewing 
persons  whose  names  WGT6  mi  the  old  Single  Tax 
Club  list.  He  had  made  several  brief  ealls  at 
Arroyo  Vista,  and  one  afternoon.  jri»in«r  early,  had 
found  only  .Mrs.  Dent,  the  nursery  governess,  and 
the  children  at  home.  The  latter  wen-  playing  on 
the  lawn  and  beir^ed  him  to  stay,  and  Mrs.  Dent 
cordially  seconded  their  invitation.  Feeling  that 
he  had  earned  a  rest,  he  had  remained,  throwing 
himself  heai'tily  into  the  children's  panics,  and. 
when  they  tired  of  play,  gathered  them  about  him 
on  the  •rpjiss  and  told  them  stories;  and  then  shared 
their  picnic  supper  in  the  arbor.  It  was  a  simple 
meal  at  which  Mrs.  Dent  presided. 

lioinjr  back  to  his  room  in  the  early  evening,  he 
felt  refreshed  and  invigorated  and  ready  to  renew 
his  search  for  live  single  lax-'i'v  Il<  \\a^  keeping 
on  steadily  at  his  se]  f-appoint  ••<!  task,  tho  not  find 
ing  it  to  l.e  an  exactly  inspiring  woi'k.  The  amount 
«•{'  apathy  and  downriirht  indi H'erenec  h<'  met  with 


THi:  CHILDREN'S  PICNIC  91 

would  have  discouraged  a  less  sanguine  tempera 
ment.  It  seemed  like  trying  to  melt  walls  of  ice, 
but  the  fire  of  his  enthusiasm  had  the  unquench 
able  quality  possessed  only  by  those  who  are  sure 
of  the  justice  of  their  cause  and  of  the  possibility 
of  its  speedy  success  if  once  understood. 

He  was  delighted  to  find — as  he  had  found  be 
fore — that  the  very  necessity  for  argument  and 
discussion  with  the  icicles  he  encountered  was  mak 
ing  every  point  of  view  and  phase  of  the  subject 
clearer  in  his  own  mind.  Questions  and  objections 
had  suggested  new  ideas  or  called  for  a  new  way 
of  explaining  some  phase  of  the  problem.  All  these 
he  had  gone  over  and  thoroly  revised,  and  added 
much  to  the  manuscript  he  was  preparing  for  sub 
mission  to  Glen  Harding. 

That  these  people  with  whom  he  had  talked — 
and  others  like  them — could  be  induced  to  see  and 
apply  the  truth  he  was  certain.  It  was  only  a 
question  of  time  and  energy,  and  money  with  which 
to  carry  on  the  propaganda — and  success  was  sure ! 

He  had  seen  little  of  Glen  Harding  during  that 
two  weeks,  but  had  called  at  Will  Deimison's  office 
nearly  every  day  to  report,  with  the  gratifying 
result  of  feeling  that  he  was  gradually  getting  the 
lawyer  to  see  more  and  more  plainly  the  true  way 
out. 

Returning  to  his  room  late  on  that  Friday  even 
ing,  Ernest  Wynn  found  that  a  note  had  been 
pushed  under  his  door.  The  address  was  in  a 


TIJK  >ori.  OK  Tin-:  WOULD 

woman's  hand   ami   unknown   to  him,  so   in-   op- 
it    with   S.MIIC   curiosity,   and   found    it    ran   thus: 

.My   drar   .Mr.    \V\  nn  : 

I  know  Something  of  how  busy  you  art- 
just  now",  luit  the  children  have  been  coax 
ing  mi-  all  tin-  morning  to  write  ami  invite 
you  to  jro  with  them  on  their  own  little 
picnic  tomorrow.  Can  you  possibly  span- 
the  time.'  Would  you  like  to  go ?  Merwyn 
says  yon  used  to  walk  all  over  the  moun 
tains  in  .Montana  and  would  like  to  do  So 
here.  Fay  tells  me  you  gathered  wild 
flowers  in  Dakota  to  send  home  to  your 
folks,  and  the  child  is  very  desirous  of 
showing  you  the  wild  Mowers  now  so  plen 
tiful  on  our  foothills.  liaby  Carol  Bays 
you  could  "wide"  one  of  the  burros. 
What  do  you  say.'  Do  not  come  if  yon 
would  not  enjoy  it.  The  trip  is  only  a 
short  one.  across  the  Arroyo  and  up  the 
trail  back  of  Linda  Vista.  .Mrs.  Dent  will 
with  the  children  and  be  responsible 

for    them.       If   you    would    like  to    go,    pleas,- 

come  in   time  to  start   at    nine  o'clock. 
Cord  ia  li.x    yOUTS, 

MIUDKLLA    11.  DKNMSON. 

Krnest  Wyiin  irlanced  at  the  date  and  found  tin- 
note  had  been  \\ritteu  that  afternoon,  and  In- 
decided  to  accept  the  invitation.  He  loved  chil 
dren  and  these  little  ones  had  proved  especially 
e!iL'aLrMi«_r.  Then.  too.  a  little  walk  OYer  the  hills. 


THE   CHILDREN'S  PICNIC  9iJ 

with  only  the  prattle  of  the  children  in  his  ears — 
for  Mrs.  Dent  seemed  a  quiet  woman,  not  much 
given  to  talk — would  tend  to  erase  from  his  mind 
a  lot  of  the  rubbish  to  which  he  had  been  com 
pelled  to  listen  during  the  past  two  weeks,  and  so 
aid  in  bringing  out  more  distinctly  the  thoughts 
he  wished  to  make  as  accurate  and  clear  cut  as 
possible,  before  showing  his  manuscript  to  Glen 
Harding.  Yes,  he  would  go. 

"Mama,  Mama,"  called  Merwyn,  on  Saturday 
morning,  running  into  the  garden  where  Mrs.  Den- 
nison  and  her  sister  were  busily  engaged  cutting 
roses  for  bouquets,  "is  Mr.  Wynn  coming  to  our 
picnic  ? ' ' 

"I  don't  know  yet,  dear.  He  was  not  there 
when  Jake  left  the  note.  But  it  is  almost  time  to 
start,  and  if  he  is  going  he  will  soon  be  here. 
There  is  Fay  coming  out.  You  two  might  run 
down  to  the  entrance  and  look  for  him." 

The  children  darted  off  and  Mrs.  Dennison 
turned  to  her  sister.  "Now  I'll  see  if  Mr.  Wynn 
enjoys  the  children  as  much  as  he  seems  to.  If  he 
accepts  an  invitation  to  go  off  there  with  the  tots 
and  Mrs.  Dent,  I  will  be  sure  the  children  really 
attract  him." 

"Then  you  did  not  tell  him " 

"That  you  always  go  with  the  children  on  their 
picnics  when  I  cannot  go  myself?"  finished  Mrs. 
Dennison,  smiling.  "No,  I  did  not  mention  you. 
That  is  the  sugar  plum,"  she  added,  mischieviously, 
"to  reward  him  if  he  cares  enough  for  my  splendid 
children  to  want  to  please  them." 


'.'1  Till-:   sol  1.  <>K  TIN-:    \\oKLD 

"He  does,"  laughed  her  sister,  as  a  merry  shout 
•  >f  "Here  he  is."  came  to  t licit-  cars  and  they  turned 
to  sec-  tin-  children  L-;I\  !\  leading  Krnest  Wynn  up 
the  garden  path. 

"I  say.  \Vynn.  your  example  i*  contagious." 
remarked  Will  Deimison.  who  now  joined  the 
group  in  the  garden.  "When  I  told  Franklin  how 
yon  were  going  after  the  people  on  our  lists  In1 
said  he  wonld  see  some  himself;  and  Jack  Romaine, 
a  tine  young  fellow  who  has  brains  as  well 
money,  happened  to  be  in  the  office  and  heard  us. 
lie  surprised  me  by  offering  to  look  up  a  do/en  or 
two  people.  11,.  was  in  earnest  and  said  he  would 
try  his  best  to  get  them  out.  I  never  knew  him  to 
do  anything  active  for  the  cause  before,  tho  he  has 
taken  a  desultory  sort  of  interest  in  the  single  tax 
all  thru  his  youth — calling  himself  a  single  laxer — 
on  account  of  hearing  Henry  George  speak  during 
that  fatal  campaign  in  New  York.  -lack  was  only 
a  boy  then." 

Ernest  Wynn's  eyes  sparkled.  "That  is  good 
news!"  he  exclaimed.  "That  young  man  interests 
me  considerably.  His  name  was  on  one  of  the  lists 
you  gave  me,  and  I  had  quite  a  long  talk  with  him. 
He  asked  intelligent  questions  and  seemed  to  under 
stand  my  explanations,  but  did  not  oiVer  to  do 
anything.  He  told  me  some  incidents  of  his  visit 
to  New  York  and  how  a  single  tax  friend  took  him, 
with  his  mother,  to  hear  Henry  (Jeorirc.  who  must 
have  made  a  strong  impression  <»n  him.  He  said 
Miss  Harding  had  helped  him  to  understand  some 
things  he  remembered  hearing  Henry  (JeorLfc  say." 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PICNIC  95 

"And  what  are  you  doing,  Will?"  asked  his  wife. 

"Oh,  I've  kept  the  phone  and  auto  pretty  busy. 
Another  week  of  such  work  will  finish  up  our  list 
in  good  shape.  Then  I  think  we  can  count  on 
enough  people  turning  out  to  start  a  pretty  good 
Club." 

"Come,  Mr.  Wynn !  Come,  Auntie  Glen!"  the 
eager  children  were  calling;  "Mrs.  Dent  and  the 
baskets  are  in  the  auto.  Do  please  come."  * 

Mrs.  Dennison  did  not  fail  to  note  the  gleam  of 
pleased  surprise  that  passed  over  Ernest  Wynn's 
expressive  face  when  he  thus  learned  that  Glen 
Harding  was  to  be  one  of  the  party,  and  she 
remarked,  casually,  "My  sister  or  I  always  go  with 
the  children  on  their  little  picnics,  and  I  could  not 
get  off  today." 

"The  burros  wait  for  us  at  the  foot  of  the  trail," 
said  Merwyn. 

' '  There  will  be  lots  of  flowers, ' '  added  Pay.  ' '  We 
pick  them  on  top  and  on  our  way  home." 

"The  air  is  so  delightfully  clear  this  morning  that 
we  ought  to  have  a  glorious  view  from  the  point 
before  the  smoke  gets  around  to  hide  it,"  remarked 
Glen  Harding,  as  the  car  started  off. 

Their  route  took  them  down  the  hill,  across  the 
1) ridge,  and  past  a  large  grove  of  eucalypts,  where 
the  square  stems  and  blue-gray  coloring  of-  the  newr 
growth  mingled  in  strange  contrast  with  the  slender, 
rounded  branches  and  dark  green  leaves  of  older 
parts  of  the  same  tree.  Then  for  a  long  distance 
their  way  was  shaded  by  rows  of  the  always  beau 
tiful  pepper  trees,  with  their  dainty,  fern-like  leaves 


'.•<;  THI-:  sou.  of  Tin-:  \\<>KLI> 

,-intl    luxuriant    di>pla\    of    sprays    of    tiny    blossoms 
drlirately  tinted  in  yellow  and  cn-jim,  which,  on  tin- 
female    trees,    turn    later   to   long,   drooping   rlu-' 
of  bright   green   In-rhes.   that    change  to  a    vivid   red. 
making  tin-  tr<M'.s  more  lovely  than  ever,  and  tempt 
inir  the  i-ohins  and   cedar  wa\wiii'_rs  to  >l;.\    a    while 
among    them      and    even    luring    the    mocking    binU 
away  from  the  ripening  HITS. 

Along  t|i(.  roadsides,  every  where,  in  the  vacant 
lots,  running  ii]>  the  hillsides,  clothing  the  AjTOyo'h 
strrp  hanks,  and  even  trespassing  on-  the  garden 
spots,  waved  the  wild  oats;  and  Krnest  \Yynn  agreed 
\\ilh  the  children  that  no  cultivated  grass  could  !»,- 
prett  ier. 

A  few  moments  im»iv  and  they  turned  aside  and 
parsed  thi-u  orchai'ds  of  apricots  and  pearlies  to 
ihe  foot  of  the  trail,  where  Jake  Harris  and  the 
(HUM-OS  waited.  Mrs.  Dent  and  Carol  were  soon 
mounted  «n  one,  and  the  baskets,  with  Merwyn  and 
Fay.  were  easily  earned  by  the  other  faithful  littl-- 
ereat nre.  Glen  Harding  and  Ernest  \Yynn  brought 
up  the  rear  of  the  cavalcade,  which  wound  its  wa\ 
up  and  up,  along  the  mountain  side  on  a  narrow. 
almost  overgrown  path. 

"I  have  been  up  hero  many  times  and  nev-r 
brforr  found  the  hushes  so  rampant  over  the  trad." 
-aid  (Jl'-n  Harding.  "Tt  may  sound  silly  to  yon. 
Mr.  Wynn."  she  added,  smiling,  "but  to  me  it  B66OU1 
good  just  to  be  alive  on  a  morning  like  th 

KrneM    Wynn   lauirhed.      "I   feel   that    \\ay   myself 
just     now."    and    he    looked    about     over    the    flower 
d      hillsides.        "What       flower      makes      tl)ox«- 


T11K  ClULDKUN  'S   PICNIC  97 

great  patches  of  yellow — or  orange,  rather — bloom 
over  there,  and  there — why,  that  side  of  the  moun 
tain  is  nearly  hidden  by  it!" 

''That's  the  sticky  monkey  flower,  Mr.  Wynn. 
Here  are  some  bushes  of  it  close  by,"  Merwyn  called 
back. 

"See  the  Indian  paint  brush,"  cried  Fay,  "and 
up  there  are  lovely  Indian  pinks — those  pretty  red 
flowers,  Mr.  Wynn." 

"Notice  how  the  varieties  change  as  we  wind  up 
the  hill,"  said  Glen  Harding.  "Here  the  sage  is 
everywhere,  and  I  don't  see  a  single  sticky  monkey 
flower." 

"We  are  almost  to  the  top,  see  the  old  windmill," 
Merwyn  presently  turned  to  call  back. 

"There  was  once  a  well  there,  and  I  have  heard 
that  it  had  water  in  it  several  feet  deep,  even  in  the 
dryest  seasons,"  explained  Glen  Harding,  "but  a 
storm  overthrew  the  windmill  and  the  place  was 
abandoned." 

"Somebody's  there,  Auntie  Glen,  somebody's  on 
our  picnic  ground!"  exclaimed  Merwyn.  suddenly. 

"What  shall  we  do,  Auntie  Glen?"  added  Fay. 
anxiously. 

"Wait  a  moment  and  we  will  see.  Mrs.  Dent," 
she  called  softly,  "is  there  another  party  ahead  of 
us?  We  never  before  happened  to  find  anyone  up 
here,"  she  added,  to  Ernest  Wynn. 

The  front  burro  had  halted  when  the  other  did, 
and  Mrs.  Dent  now  turned  to  say:  "It's  only  a  man, 
and  he  is  coming  to  meet  us.  Why,  it  is  Mr. 
Tremont  !" 


U  THI-:  SOUL  OF  Tin-:  \VUKLI> 

'He    rail    stay    With    ll.s.    We    like    llilll,"    said    Fa\ 

"But  imt  si i  well  MS  Mr.  Wynn,"  s;ii«l   Merwyn. 

"I  like  them  Imth  tin-  same  much/'  insisted   Fa\ . 

"  Very  well."  smiled  their  Aunt,  "it  is  your  picnie 
and  you  can  g<»  on  ahead  and  invite  him  to  it  it' 
you  want  to." 

The  children's  burro  was  instantly  ur«rrd  in  front 
ol'  its  companion  on  the  now  hroad  and  nearly  level 
path  along  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  a  moment  later  a 
man  with  a  decidedly  pleased  expression — which 
even  the  presence  of  Ernest  Wynn  could  not  dampen 
—met  the  rest  of  the  party  as  they  arrived  at  the 
!>rokeii  remnants  of  the  old  windmill. 

"This  is  an  unexpected   pleasure.   Miss  Harding." 
he  exclaimed.     "I  am  visiting  my  friends,  tin-   Dut 
tons,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  for  a  few  days,  and  the 
air  was  so  clear  this  morning  that   I  came  up  here  to 
look  at  the  view." 

"Isn't  it  glorious!"  She  looked  about  with 
delighted  eyes. 

Ernest  Wynn  had  helped  the  children  dismount. 
and  fastened  the  burros  as  Merwyn  directed.  Now 
he  stood  looking  around  in  sheer  enjoyment  as  the 
children  eagerly  called  his  attention  to  all  the  points 
of  the  compass  in  turn;  thus  showing  him  the  wide 
views  over  three  fair  valleys:  The  great  San  Gabriel, 
with  Pasadena  as  its  crown;  the  beautiful  Eagle 
KocU,  and  lovely  La  Canada. 

.Mrs.  Dent  had  established  herself  on  a  comfort 
able  piece  of  the  old  framework,  and  was  keeping 
a  watchful  eye  on  baby  Carol,  who  toddled  about 
piekinir  up  little  stones  for  miniature  house-building. 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PICNIC  99 

Ernest  Wynn  devoted  himself  to  the  children, 
entering  with  lively  interest  into  their  hunt  for  "as 
many  different  sorts  of  flowers  as  we  can  find,"  as 
Merwyn  said.  In  this  work  Auntie  Glen  had  to  be 
frequently  called  upon  to  identify  and  name  the 
finds,  and  this  at  last  caused  Arthur  Tremont  to  join 
in  the  search. 

"There  are  not  so  many  flowers  up  here,"  said 
Fay.  "We  will  find  lots  more  going  down." 

"Isn't  it  fun,  Mr.  Wynn,"  said  Merwyn,  later 
on,  as  they  all  seated  themselves  on  the  ground 
around  the  beautiful  lunch  Mrs.  Dent  had  spread  out 
on  a  cloth  on  a  smooth,  open  spot,  "to  have  our 
lunch  up  here  with  only  a  cloth  for  a  table,  and  all 
outdoors  for  a  house?" 

"I  like  to  get  away  from  the  crowd  of  houses," 
remarked  Glen  Harding.  "I  remember  years  ago 
visiting  a  cousin  in  the  country — the  real  country, 
back  in  Pennsylvania — and  how  I  enjoyed  it !  I 
thought  then  as  I  do  now,  that  the  ideal  home  would 
have  the  ample  outdoor  spaces  of  my  cousin's  place, 
and  yet  contain — what  her  home  lacked — a  good 
library  and  new  books  and  magazines  coming  in. 
With  antes  and  telephones,  all  and  more  than  I 
then  thought  of  could  now  be  realized  by  all  of  us 
if  we  had  equitable  conditions." 

"You  evidently  agree  with  the  writer  of  your  new 
Garden  Book,  Glen,  that  tho  we  live  in  cities  we  were 
meant  for  the  country,"  observed  Mrs.  Dent,  smiling. 
"She  says  land  is  comparatively  cheap  in  California, 
and  home  builders  ought  to  secure  more  land  around 
their  houses,  because  'a  fformine  home  can  hardly 


I.HI  TIH;  son,  OF  TIM-:  \VOKLD 

be  made  on  a  small  city  lot — it  is  more  apt   to  b»>  an 
abiding   place   only.' 

"<  'oinparaiively  cheap,  indeed!"  exclaimed  (Men 
Hardinir.  indignantly.  "Just  look  at  tin-  prig's 
asked  for  even  little  hits  of  land  on  the  Hats'.  &fi 
for  homes.  I  can  show  you  lots  of  tiny,  one  and  r 
room  houses— they  looked  like  doll  houses  to  me 
when  I  first  came  out  here — mere  shanties,  some  of 
them,  on  our  way  home.  Yet  Pasadena  is  called  M 
millionaire  city,  and  one  of  the  beautiful  towns  «.f 
a  region  full  of  lovely  places— and  tiny  hoi;-,  - 

"It  would  be  far  more  beautiful  if  the  trolley 
Bam  and  telephone  poles  were  eliminated. "  i.hsei  vd 
Krnost  \Vynn. 

Arthur  Tremont,  b.ok.-d  at  him.  as  tho  in  doubt 
whether  he  had  heard  ariirht  :  "Surely  you  woubl 
not  have  us  «ro  l)a<-k  to  tin-  days  before  telephones 
and  electric  ears  made  life  pleasanler.  or  at  least 
easi. 

Mi-nest  Wynn  smiled.  "I  did  not  say  that,  Mr. 
Tremont." 

(Men  Hal-din..-  laughed,  tho  her  tone  wa^  xerimis 
enoii-rii  as  she  said:  "There  is  no  excuse  now  for 
the  existence  of  a  single  yai'd  of  rail  or  trolley  wire 
on  city  streets;.  An  automobile  service  would  he  a 
hundred  times  bettor  and  moiv  convenient.  .lust 
think  of  the  actual  danger  avoided  and  the  mormons 
nerv<>ns  strain  eliminated  by  the  one  item  alone  of 
takinir  a  t*f  at  the  curl)  instead  of  in  tho  middle  of 
the  street." 

"I     never    thought     of    that."     ejaculated     Arthur 

Tremont. 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PICNIC  101 

"I  read  an  account  the  other  day,"  said  Mrs. 
Dent,  "of  the  successful  use  of  automobiles  in  place 
of  street  cars  in  an  eastern  city.  I  think  it  was 
during  a  strike  on  the  car  lines,  and  the  people 
liked  the  automobiles  so  much  better,  they  wished 
them  kept  up." 

"The^nly  reason  they  are  not  already  in  universal 
use" — Glen  Harding  spoke  gravely — "is  because 
the  exclusive  possession  of  public  highways,  which 
the  rails  and  wires  necessitates,  gives  to  the  corpora 
tions  owning  them  the  power  to  levy  tribute  on  the 
people  to  the  utmost  limit  they  can  endure.  The 
fiction  of  doing  it  as  a  ' public  service'  blinds  the 
average  busy  person  to  the  real  situation.  People 
go  on  paying  tribute  because  they  must  use  the 
highways,  grumbling  at  the  poor  service  and  con 
stant  danger  to  life  and  limb — yet  too  blindly 
thoughtless  to  see  that  the  whole  system  can  be 
easily  and  quickly  abolished  and  an  efficient  auto 
mobile  service  substituted — until  we  win  equal 
opportunities.  Then  every  family  could  have  an 
automobile — or  more — to  suit  its  own  needs  and 
save  all  the  time  now  wasted  by  having  to  stand 
around  from  five  minutes  to  half  an  hour  every  day 
waiting  for  a  car." 

"But  why  do  not  the  companies  substitute  the 
automobiles  for  trolley  cars  now,  if  they  would  be 
so  much  better?"  remarked  Arthur  Tremont. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Tremont,"  exclaimed  Glen  Harding, 
with  a  distinct  note  of  impatience  in  her  tone. 
"Don't  you  see  that  with  automobiles  it  would  be 
impossible  In  secure  and  maintain  that  tribute  com- 


THI-;  son.  or  THI-:  WOKLD 

ir  |n»\ver  which  is  involved  in  the  laying  of 
rails  and  putting  up  of  poles  and  wires  on  cit\ 
streets  and  other  public  roads?" 

"The  poles  an-  not  pretty.  Mr.  Tn'inonl.  I  like 
trees  better,"  said  little  Fay.  suddenly. 

"But  you  like  to  talk  to  people  over  the  phone. 
don't  you?" 

"Yei,  Mr.  Tremont."  the  child  admitted,  "we  do. 
Merwyn  can,  too,  but  Carol  is  most  too  little." 

"But,  Mr.  Tremont,  all  the  wires  ought  to  be 
underground  at  this  moment.  and  thus  do  away  with 
the  constant  danger  to  linemen  —and  other  people. 
too,  from  exposure  to  live  wires."  said  (ih-n 
Harding,  earnestly. 

"The  telephone  is  too  great  a  convenience  i'or  me 
t<>  care  to  quarrel  with  the  methods  of  the  com 
panies,"  said  Arthur  Tremont.  lightly.  "I  notice 
even  the  small  wnrkm.ymen  's  cottages  have  phones 
now." 

"We  don't  like  those  little  houses  —  sometimes  we 
BQjB  raLT'jed  children  around  them  —  1  wisli  they  all 


had  homes  like  ours."  spoke  up  Merwyn.  and  K 
\Vynn    renn  -inhered   the   serious   attention    the   child 
often   s.-rmed   to   «:ive  to   the  talk   of  older  persons. 

"They  will  have  them.  Merwyn.  as  soon  as  we  can 
get  them  to  see  the  WHY."  Auntie  (Jleu  spoke  reas 
suringly. 

"Luther  Burbank  sa  \  s  children  ought  to  be 
brought  up  in  the  country  and  not  <_">  to  school  until 
ten  years  old,"  observed  Mrs.  Dent,  thoughtfully. 
"How  does  that  ji«ji  .....  with  life  over  there?"  She 
indicated  the  fail-  city  spread  out  far  below  thorn. 


THK  CHILDREN'S  PICNIC  103 

"A  good  many  people  seem  to  fail  in  making  even 
abiding  places  of  their  houses,  if  the  'for  sale'  and 
'for  rent'  signs  have  any  meaning.  I've  seen  them 
on  all  sorts  and  sizes  of  places  and  houses,"  remarked 
Ernest  Wynn. 

"I  met  the  secretary  of  one  of  Pasadena's  finest 
Clubs  some  days  ago,"  said  Arthur  Tremont,  ''and 
she  chanced  to  remark  that  the  people  of  Pasadena 
were  so  nomadic  that  it  was  hard  to  keep  an  accurate 
record  of  addresses — even  in  Clubdom  alone.  How 
must  it  be  in  the  whole  city!" 

Glen  Harding  almost  sighed,  then  smiled.  "I 
suppose  it  is  partly  because  of  Pasadena  being  such 
a  resort  for  tourists;  and  besides  that  there  has 
been  a  vigorous  real  estate  boom  going  on  for  sev 
eral  years.  I  confess,  tho'  that  I  greatly  dislike  the 
everlasting  numerousness  of  those  'for  rent'  and 
'for  sale'  signs;  and  the  'furnished  rooms '  and 
'rooms  and  board'  aggravate  the  evil.  I  have  an 
almost  uncanny,  homeless  feeling,  sometimes,  when 
going  about  the  city." 

Ernest  Wynn  looked  sympathetic.  "I  understand 
that  feeling,  Miss  Harding,"  he  said,  "and  the  only 
possible  way  out  that  I  can  see  for  any  of  us  is  to 
make  people  see  that  the  land  question  must  be 
settled  first  of  all — and  why." 

"The  author  of  that  garden  book,"  Mrs.  Dent 
spoke  again,  "wants  this  'Land  of  Heart's  Desire' 
to  be  the  scene  of  the  most  genuine  and  heart  satis 
fying  home  building  the  world  has  ever  known. 
She  grows  quite  confident,  and  insists  that  'it  can 
be  and  T  have  faith  thai  it  will  be,  but  of  course  no 


Ml  Till!   S<»ri.   Ml-    THK    WoKIJ) 

such  delightful  millennium  can  !>«'  reached  without 
\vars  of  persistent  effort  along  right  lines,  together 
with  a  gradual  development  of  higher  ideals  for 
home  building  and  home  BtUTOUndingS. '  ' 

"She  spoils  her  whole  suggest  ion.  Mix.  Dent,  by 
that  implication  that  it  will  necessarily  take  man\ 
years  to  accomplish  it."  said  (Jlen  Harding.  "It 
•  •an  never  be  done  by  merely  teaching  people  to  want 
'jardens.  wit  limit  showing  tin-in  how  to  get  a  perma 
nent  hold  on  even  a  foot  of  Around!  On  the  other 
hand,  if  we  settle  the  land  question,  it  will  n«»t  tak-e 
live  years  thereafter  to  see  ;i  complete  change  in  this 
whole  country,  making  it  a  gloriously  lovely  land, 
full  of  real  homes  and  big  gardens,  with  happy 
parents  and  merry  children  in  them." 

"Then  the  sooner  yon  get  the  subject  clear  enough 
for  the  people  to  understand  it,  the  better!  1  am 
quite  sure  that  there  can  In-  very  little,  if  any, 
genuine  home  life  for  the  children  in  our  crowded 
cities,"  asserted  Mrs.  Dent,  who  seemed  unusually 
animated.  Krnesl  Wynn  thought. 

"I  greatly  dislike  the  grind  and  rush  of  bnsinos 
life  in  a  large  city,  tho  I  am  compelled,  for  the 
time  being,  to  go  thru  the  motions."  observed  Arthur 
Tremont. 

"I  cannoi  imagine  such  citirx  gs  continuing  under 
equitable  conditions."  said  Krnest  Wynn. 

•'They  could   pot."   emphasi/ed   (Jlen    Harding. 

"That  reminds  me.  .Miss  Harding,  of  an  announce 
ment  I  saw  some  time  airo  in  a  Chicago  paper,  of 
a  Aeriea  of  urtiotal  bv  the  editor,  in  which  von  will 


TUK  <.:H1LI>KKN"«  PICNIC  lu"> 

be  interested,"  said  Arthur  Tremont.  "The  general 
title  of  the  series  is  'The  Science  of  Social  Service'." 
Glen  Harding  smiled.  That  science  can  be 
summed  up  in  three  words,  Mr.  Tremont,  and  they 
are  *  service  for  service.'  To  give  anything  less  than 
an  equivalent  for  services  rendered  is  obviously 
unjust,  unfair.  To  pretend  to  give  more  than  that — - 
before  such  a  balance  is  established — is  either  a 
fraud  or  a  delusion.  Such  errors  in  the  past  have 
gone  far  to  make  and  maintain  the  horrible  condi- 
lions  about  us  everywhere  today." 

"You  are  far  above  those  conditions,  Miss  Hard 
ing,"  Arthur  Tremont  smilingly  protested,  "and 
they  should  not  be  allowed  to  annoy  you."  » 

Glen  Harding  turned  toward  him  a  deeply  serious 
face  as  she  said:  "How  can  I  be  perfectly  happy 
when  I  know  that  there  are  thousands  of  women  like 
myself  who  are  at  this  moment  held  in  a  bondage 
worse  than  death?  How  can  I  be  wholly  carp  free 
when  I  realize  that  thousands  of  children,  who 
ought  to  be  as  healthy  and  happy  as  Birdie's  little 
ones  here,  are  being  crushed  and  crippled  for  life, 
in  factories,  and  other  thousands  starved  to  death  in 
Ihe  slums  of  our  cities?  How — 

"Oh,  Auntie  Glen,"  broke  in  Merwyn,  "I'm  so 
sorry  for  the  poor  little  children,  I'll  give  you  all  the 
money  in  my  bank  to  help  them." 

"So  will  I,"  added  Fay.     "My  cat  is  most  full." 

"Me  will,"  chimed  in  baby  Carol's  voice,  uncom 
prehending,  but  always  ready  to  follow  its  leaders. 

Glen  Harding  smiled  brightly  on  the  eager,  earnest 
little  faces.  "Of  course  vou  shall,  dears.  We  will 


1m;  TI1K  sul'L  ()F  Till-:   NVoKI.M 

ask    Mania    to    help    decide    where   your    money    will 
do  the  most  good,  as  so. .11  as  we  «:«•!   home." 

"Really.  Miss  Harding."  said  Arthur  Tivmont. 
"we  uiiLrht  to  banish  all  thought  of  such  things  from 
our  minds,  in  order  to  «;et  as  much  rnjoyment  as 
possible  out  of  life. M 

Krnext  Wynii  saw  a  sudden,  strange  li^ht  «rlram 
an  instant  in  (ilen  Harding's  eyes,  but  she  only 
asked  quietly.  "Can  you  do  that,  Mr.  Tremont?" 

"Not     wholly,    as    yd.    hut     I     rxptH't    to    ill    time 
when    I    can   gvi    a   little    farther    from    the   irrind    of 
the  city,   and    business   \va\^  " 

Ajrain  Krnest  Wynn  saw  a  iiKtinentai'v  irleam  in 
the  gi:ay  eyes,  and  (ilen  Harding  seemed  about  to 
speak,  when  Fay.  not  interested  in  such  talk,  broke 
in  with.  "Auntie  Glen,  can  we  play  blimlman's  butV 
up  here.'  Now  lunch  is  done.  We've  noticed  am! 
noticed." 

V 

"Very  well,  you  can  try  it  a  while,  but  ivim-mber 
we  want  time  to  pick  llowers  on  the  way  down." 

"Will  you  play  with  us,  Mr.  Wynn?"  he«r»vd  Pay, 

"Mr.  Tremont  can  try.  too."  said  Merwyn. 

"Isn't  this  a  rather  small  and  rou.irh  place  for  such 
a  game.'"  Arthur  Tremont  glanced  »l«»ubti'ully 
about  the  spot  of  stone-strewn,  bush-covered  hill 
top.  which  fell  olV  sharply  on  one  side. 

"Oh.  we  will  lead  you  very  carefully  up  here," 
Merw yn  assured  him.  "Do  you  think  you  will  know 
the  bushes.'" 

"The   bushes.1"   repeated    Arthur  Tremont. 

"It  is  a  sort  of  botanical  blindmau's  butV." 
explained  Glen  Harding.  "One  person  at  a  time  is 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PICNIC  107 

blindfolded  and  led  about  among  the  bushes,  and 
must  tell  what  they  are  by  touching  the  stems  and 
foliage.  Merwyn  and  Fay  know  all  the  trees  in 
their  home  garden  lay  the  feel  of  the  bark,  and  even 
baby  Carol  knows  some  of  them.  Sometimes  the 
children  make  a  flower  game  of  it,  and  they  are 
learning  to  know  the  flowers  by  touch.  The  player 
who  recognizes  the  largest  number  wins,  the  game." 

"No  show  of  my  winning  against  these  children 
up  here,  but  I'll  try  the  game,"  said  Ernest  Wynn. 

"So  will  I,"  smiled  Arthur  Tremont,  "tho  I'm 
afraid  I  don't  know  any  bushes  but  the  live  oaks." 

Mrs.  Dent  produced  a  handkerchief  for  a  blinder, 
and  a  half  hour  was  pleasantly  spent  over  the  game 
before  the  children  were  read}*-  to  go  down  the  hill. 

"What  are  those  masses  of  pink  flowers  over 
there'?"  asked  Ernest  Wynn,  pointing  toward  a 
rose  colored  patch  on  the  hillside,  when  he  found 
himself  beside  Glen  Harding  for  a  moment  on  the 
way  down. 

"They  are  the  prickly  phlox.  Here  are  some  right 
in  the  path." 

Ernest  Wynn  looked  down  on  the  flowers  at  his 
feet,  their  pink  satin  petals  glistening  and  shim 
mering  in  the  sunlight.  "They  remind  me  of  the 
dress  you  wore  at  that  Metaphysical  Club  meeting; 
it  seemed  like  a  bit  of  the  rose-hued  clouds  of  dawn." 

"What  a  pretty  fancy!  I  must  tell  Birdie  that. 
You  see,  Mr.  Wynn,  my  sister  plans  all  my  gowns. 
I  insist — and  I  can  tell  you  I  had  to  argue  hard  for 
it — on  a  certain  waist  measure ;  but  Birdie  selects 
materials  and  styles,  and  T  appreciate  the  results 


TIIK  9OUL  CM    THI:  WORLD 

.just    MS    she    en.joys    tin-    Lrarden     I     planned,    and    the 
changes  I  make  in   it   from  time  t«»  time." 

I  B6te;  ;iml  does  she  always  have  something  pink 
about  you?"  He  had  just  noticed  the  rose-hued 
ribbons  at  neek  and  waist  that  jrave  a  touch  of 
brightness  to  the  linen  colored  ir<>wn  she  wore. 

"Yes."  she  smiled,  "liirdie  chooses  it  for  me 
because  it  is  a  becoming  color,  and  I  like  to  wear  it 
Ix-caiisc  it  signifies  hope,  and  of  all  thinirs  today  tin- 
world  surely  needs  hope!  I  mean  an  intelligent 
hope  that  will  lead  people  on  to  prompt  and  active 
work  for  its  speedy  reali/at  ion." 

Her  companion  looked  with  a  new  interest  at  the 
pink  rihbons.  "I  kimw  nothing  <»f  the  meaning  of 
COlOPS,'1*  he  said,  "but  if  I  thought  that  wearinir  FOB* 
Color  would  help  inspire  people  to  work  for  freedom 
I'd  certainly  invest  at  once  in  a  do/en  pink  shirts 
and  try  their  effect  ." 

Clen    Ilardinir  laughed,  but    her  face  grefe   serious 
-lie  said.   4<Do   give  the   i<lca    a    trial.    Mr.    Wynn. 
and    1    will    lend    you    a    lecture    of    Colville's    on    the 
power  of  color." 

"All  ri«rht.  I'll  try  it."  Krnest  Wynn  smiled  h;iek 
at  her  as  he  yielded  to  the  pull  of  an  eairer  little 
hand  ;md  hurried  on  t<»  <_rather  Indian  pinks,  foe 
hijjli  up  on  Ihe  bank  for  .Mcrwyn  to  reach.  Some 
\\ay.  he  felt  elated,  tho  he  had  not  1'ailed  to  notice, 
in  that  one  backward  ulance.  that  L\rthiir  Tremont 
had  ah-eady  taken  his  place  at  (Jlen  Ilai-dinir's  side. 

Th''  fe"linLr  "f  haviiiLT  made  s.une  |>ro«jn-ss  came 
to  him  fi.ua in  when,  as  he  was  bidding  the  children 
ir, MM!  bye  ;it  Ai-p.yo  N'ista.  Cb-n  Hardin'JT.  who  had 


THE  CHILDREN'S  PICNIC  109 

hurried  into  the  house  to  get  the  Colville  lecture, 
gave  him  the  book  and  said:  kiMr.  Wynn,  I  have 
read  all  the  articles  you  left  for  me  with  Mrs.  Dent 
the  other  afternoon.  I  find  they  clear  up  so  many 
puzzles  that  I  feel  almost  sure  you  have  still  more 
to  say." 

"I  have,"  was  the  prompt  response,  ''I  am  re 
writing  my  ideas  on  the  most  important  point — the 
source  of  ground  rent— and  I'll  bring  you  the  paper 
when  it  is  done." 

"I  hope  that  will  be  soon."  She  spoke  seriously. 
"I  cannot  see  any  way  out  of  the  present  horrible 
industrial  and  social  conditions,  except  thru  the 
settlement  of  the  land  question,  and  anything  which 
tends  to  that  end  is  worth  knowing." 


rilAITKR  7. 


Kh'NKST    \VV\.\    IS   l'r//LKI). 

To    say     that     Krilest     \V\lltl     Was     pu/.xled     when     he 

left  the  children  mid  their  ;iunt  !h;it  afternoon  is  to 
put  it  mildly.  lie  tried  to  think  the  matter  nut 
«-le;irly  ;is  he  walked  along  quiet  side  streets,  hack 
to  his  room.  Hut  he  could  not.  Yet  the  feeling  of 
hope,  of  elation,  remained  with  him.  and  he  felt 
encouraged  in  spite  of  the  remembrance  that  Arthur 
Tremont  had  managed  to  devote  himself  to  the  chil 
dren's  aunt  during  most  of  the  lime  spent  on  the  hill. 

Yet  he  rcc.-dled.  also,  that  the  man  had  shown 
himself  profoundly  ignorant  or  wilfully  blind  on  a 
subject  that  to  (Jlen  Harding  was  of  vital  impor 
tance.  That  such  a  clear-headed  woman,  as  (Hen 
Harding  always  showed  herself  to  lie  when  discuss 
ing  sociology.  should  be  a  theosophist  se.-med 
impossible  to  Ernest  Wynn.  Yet  there  was  her 
strange  talk  at  that  meeting,  and  he  had  noticed 
how.  on  this  Saturday  afternoon,  she  had  seemed 
to  listen  understandingly.  and  even  with  inter,  x- 
to  Arthur  Tivmnnt 's  talk  as  they  two  walked  down 
the  hill  toir.-thrr  ;  tlm  the  snatches  of  their  talk  thai 
he  had  ejiught  seemed  to  him  arrant  nonsense. 

Then  he  remembered  sundry  accounts  of  two 
opposite  characters  in  one  person  could  it  be  that 
Clei i  Harding  was  one  of  those  strange  people  '.'  X,,  ' 
a  thousand  times,  no!  The  thought  was  prepos 


KUXKfcST    \VYNM    IS   PUZZLED  111 

terous !  He  did  not  believe  that  a  thoroly  sane, 
normal  person  could  possess  such  an  abnormal 
duality  of  thought  and  action.  Yet  Grant  Norwood 
was  so  positive  about  it,  and  Arthur  Tremont  had 
appeared  to  have  plenty  to  say  that  held  Glen 
Harding 's  attention  while  he  kept  so  closely  at  her 
side.  Ernest  Wynn  had  not  failed  to  notice  that, 
and  he  frankly  admitted  to  himself  that  the  man 
had  a  winning,  charming  sort  of  personality. 

Could  it  be  possible  that  Glen  Harding  actually 
cared  for  Arthur  Tremont  and  shared  his  beliefs  f 
That  question  came  back  to  his  mind  with  a 
haunting  persistence.  Then  he  recalled  her  flashing 
eyes  when  Arthur  Tremont  showed  his  thoughtless 
ness  on  sociology  during  the  talk  at  lunch  that  day. 
Surely  such  a  man,  could  not  attract  such  a  woman 
as  a  life  companion,  even  tho  she  might  to  some 
extent  share  his  metaphysical  vagaries. 

Then  there  came  into  Ernest  Wynn's  mind  the 
recollection  of  Glen  Harding 's  glowing  face  and 
serious,  yet  ardent  tones  as  they  talked  over 
propaganda  plans  with  Will  Dennison,  and — again 
he  grew  bewildered  over  the  evident  contradiction. 
He  felt  that  he  must  clear  it  up  as  soon  as  possible. 

By  the  time  he  reached  his  room  Ernest  Wynn 
had  decided  to  make,  the  next  day,  his  promised, 
and  several  times  postponed  visit  to  Grant 
Norwood's  home,  and  try  to  get  some  points  from 
him,  as  well  as  a  release  from  the  promise  made 
on  the  train  not  to  bring  his  friend's  name  into 
the  discussion — when  he  talked  to  Glen  Harding 
about  her  beliefs. 


I  IL'          f  TH  I!   ><  ML   dF   'I  III-:    \V<)KLI> 

Si i.'  .\<>\v  he  thought  of  him.  was  nut  (Irani 
himself  ;m  e\a mple  of  a  believer  in  flatly  contra- 
dictoj-\  ideas.'  Still,  there  was  a  difference  not 
merely  in  degree  hut  in  kind.  (Irani  Norwood 
refused  to  discuss  any  tiling.  Accept  it  or  leave 
it.  was  all  he  would  say  when  it  came  to  the 
point  of  real  discussion.  (Jlcn  Harding  seemed 
ever  ready  for  argument  or  discussion  on  matters 
of  real  iniportanc.-.  \«..  she  was  not  a  hit  like 
(irant  Norwoiul.  Still,  a  talk  with  is  old  friend, 
in  the  frame  of  his  own  home,  might  throw  bottle 
liiilit  on  the  mystery  that  perph'xed  him. 

In    tlie    meantime,    there    were    *ill    a    few    Pfcgfl 
dena   names  on  his  list:  he  eoiild  put    in   the  evening 
looking    up    some    of    them.      Then    in    the    mommy; 
his  mind   wouhl   be  clearer  and    he   could   write   out 

the   new    ideas  that    were   uinir   to   him    and    finish 

up    the    paper    lie     had     promised     to    take     to    (Jleii 
Ihmlinjr.      What    would  she  say.'      He   wondered. 

Finishing  his  paper  to  his  satisfaction  took 
more  time  than  Krnest  \Vynn  had  expected,  and  it 
was  therefore  rather  late  that  Sunday  afternoon 
when  In-  found  himself  at  last  in  front  of  (Jrant  Nor 
wood's  «-o»\  liitle  cottauv.  His  friend's  home  \\;is 
pleasantly  located  on  an  oasis  of  garden  s|»'»t  in  the 
midst  of  the  graded  vacancy  on  the  side  of  one  of 
the  numerous  hills  on  the  outer  edge  of  eastern  LI»N 
AiiLfeles.  1!,-  was  glad  to  tiud  his  friend  alone,  they 
could  talk  mure  freely  toother  as  they  sat  on  the 
vine-covered  porch,  and  looked  out  over  what  had 

Miire   | n.   according   to   the   season,   tlowei-   covered 

or  sun  browned  hills. 


KRNKST   WVNX   IS   1'U/XLKl)  113 

Krnest  Wynn  marked  a  certain  cosy  homelikeness 
in  the  tiny  garden  of  his  friend  that  seemed  lacking 
on  other  unoccupied  lots  in  sight,  tho  they,  too, 
were  planted  with  grass  and  flowers  and  vines.  He 
could  not  see  what  made  the  quite  evident  difference, 
and  spoke  of  it  to  his  friend. 

"It's  Miss  Harding 's  work,"  Grant  Norwood 
explained.  "She  came  over  and  helped  Daisy  fuss 
with  it  every  day  for  awhile  last  winter,  jnst  after 
we  got  settled  here.  She  said  the  lot  was  too  small. 
But  they  certainly  made  the  most  of  it,"  and  he 
looked  about  with  some  pride.  "I  don't  know  how 
she  does  it,"  he  added,  "but  Glen  Harding  has  a 
knack  of  making  a  homelike  spot  out  of  any  garden 
ground  she  touches." 

"She  seems  fond  of  out-of-doors." 

"Yes,  and  one  way  I  don't  like  it.  Motora  calls 
it  a  Japanese  trait,  Daisy  says.  She  is  over  there 
now,  spending  the  day  with  Mrs.  Dennison.  Some 
shining  light  in  the  way  of  a  Presbyterian  preacher 
held  forth  at  their  church  this  morning,  and  Daisy 
was  invited  to  dine  with  him  at  the  Dennisons. 
Grace  has  gone  to  -visit  friends  at  Hemet,  and  I'm 
glad  of  it,  for  she  was  getting  too  much  interested 
in  Tremont.  I  don't  want  her  to  get  to  care  for 
him  if  he  is  to  marry  Miss  Harding." 

"But  is  he?" 

"Of  course!"  The  tone  was  positive  and 
emphatic.  "Haven't  you  seen  them  together? 
Don't  you  notice  that  he  just  adores  her?" 

"Well,  it  looked  something  like  that  yesterday — " 


114  THK  8OTL  «>i-  TIIK  WORLD 

.-UK!    he    gave    his    friend    a    brief    account    of    the 

children's   picnic. 

"Then  you  must  have  seen  how  well  matched 
they  an-." 

"No,  I  did  not.  Nor  did  1  sec  any  evidence  that 
Mis*  Harding  is  especially  taken  with  Treinniit,  tho 
she  did  listen  t<>  his  nonsense  with  more  patience 
than  I  possess 

"Now.  Krnest.  you  don't  mean  to  say  you  think 
she  prefers  thai  Japanese 

"I  did  not  say  so.  In  fact.  I  have  not  seen  them 
together  at  all.  except  that  moment  at  your  Chit). 
J  have  been  too  busy  hunting  out  the  old  single 
taxers  an »nnd  here  to  look  him  up  yet;  but  I  was 
very  favorably  impressed  by  what  little  he  said  to 
me  that  evening." 

"<>h.  come  now.  Krnest.  don't  put  your  weight  on 
the  wrong  side."  pleaded  his  friend.  "Daisy  says 
you  are  getting  a  strong  influence  over  Dennisoii. 
and  that  Mrs.  Dennisoii  likes  you  in  spite  of  your 
single  tax  talk'." 

Krnest  \Vynn  looked  pleased.  "I'm  very  glad 
to  hear  that,  for  Dennisoii  has  the  means  and  the 
personality  to  be  a  power  in  the  work  for  true 
freedom." 

"That's  all  right!  Hut  don't  you  sec  that  it'  \ou 
use  \niir  influence  in  favor  of  Motora  it  is  bound  to 
count  against  Tremont  .'  You  know  the  Dcnnisons 
are  not  at  all  interested  in  the  Divine  Wisdom." 

"Don't  worry  about  that!  I  will  not  favor 
.Motora.  or  Tn-mont.  cither!  That  is  a  matter  Miss 

Hai-dillLr    ollirht     to    be    left    to    settle    for    herself.        But. 


KKN'KWT    \VV.\.\    IS   I'UXZLKD  115 

Grant,  I  want  you  to  release  me  from  the  promise 
I  made  on  the  train.  Then  I  can  talk  quite  freely 
to  Miss  Harding — when  I  get  a  chance — and  find 
out  just  how  much,  or  how  little,  of  a  theosophist 
she  is.  I  confess  I  am  thoroly  puzzled  about  it, 
and  I  like  to  have  things  clear  in  my  mind." 

His  friend  smiled  tolerantly.  "Of  course  I'll  let 
you  off  the  promise.  Now  that  you  have  heard  her 
it  does  not  matter,  anyway.  As  for  her  belief  in 
theosophy,  1  tell  you  her  talk  at  the  Hall  that  night 
was  ample  proof  that  she  is  a  living  attestation  to 
the  truth  of  reincarnation  in  this  world.  I  don't 
see  what  more  you  want." 

' '  I  want  to  know  where  she  got  those  ideas,  and — 

"Merely  from  memory,  I  tell  you,"  interrupted 
Grant  Norwood,  with  a  faint  trace  of  impatience  in 
his  tone.  "Didn't  you  notice  that  she  talked  about 
that  far  away  time  just  as  you  or  I  might  talk  of 
events  that  occurred  in  Kewanee  when  we  were 
boys?  I  tell  you,  Ernest,  she  is  just  the  sort  of 
woman  to  make  Tremont's  work  the  biggest  kind 
of  success.  With  those  two  working  together  it 
would  not  be  long  before  we  would  have  the  largest 
society  in  the  United  States!" 

"But  just  what  is  Tremont  doing?  What  does  his 
work  amount  to?  I  have  not  seen  anything  particu 
larly  important  about  the  man." 

"That  is  because  you  have  not  yet  recognized  the 
height  of  the  plane  on  which  he  lives."  Grant  Nor 
wood  spoke  impressively.  "He  is  teaching  the 
great  truths  of  Divine  Wisdom.  His  classes  are 
larger  than  any  other  teacher  of  metaphysics  can 


in;  Tin:  sui  L  OF  Tin:  \VOHLD 

U'rt  together  here,  lie  has  alsn  Written  a  lot  of 
hooks  to  explain  the  suh.ject.  His  latest  one  deals 
with  the  magical  control  one  mind  has  over  another. 
As  it  has  reference  especially  t<>  husmess  it  is  thomly 
practical.  I'll  lend  you  a  copy  if  you  would  like  to 
r.-ad  it.  Trnimnt  says  it's  his  l.«-s|  work." 

'  Thi'ii  it's  thr  Ix.ok  I'm-  inc.  and  I'll  read  it  rarr- 
t'ully.  1  \\anl  to  tj-.-t  at  the  man's  |»:.iut  of  view. 
I  have  had  uo  chance  yet  for  any  n-al  talk  with  him; 
hut  from  the  sort  of  incidental  remarks  he's  made  in 
my  hearing  1  should  say  he  does  not  know  the  A  H  (' 
ttiblogj  .  H<>w  ahout  that 

"Tremout  lias  never  jrivrn  the  siih.ject  any  study. 
N'oii  see,  Ki'iu-st.  his  whole  mind  is  on  a  hiirher  jdane 
than  yours,  and  he  leads  us  away  from  the  sordid 
tilings  of  life." 

Krne>i  \V\nn  turned  on  his  old  friend  a  look  of 
pity  and  curiosity,  hut  his  tone  \\as  all 
as  lie  said  :  "I  onee  thought.  ( i  rant,  that 
you  understood  the  teacliin^s  of  Hrnry  (Jeorirc." 

"I  do.  I'm  a  sinirle  taxer  all  riirht.  hut  1  have 
learned  a  lot  of  other  things,  too.  Don't  yon  B6€ 
that  if  Tremont  mar-i-ies  .Miss  Ilanlin.ir  she  can  siippl\ 
all  th<'  s"ci.»loi:ie;il  kno\\led«:e  needed  in  his  works?" 

"lint  IIOAV  al)out  her."  There  was  a  nuir  «»f  M  >rn 
in  Ki-nest  Wynn's  voice.  "  Would  ymi  have  a 
woman  like  Miss  Harding  marry  a  man  who  kooWfl 
nothing  and  who  seems  to  care  nothing  for  the  work 
for  which  she  cares  so  much?" 

"Oh,  as  to  that.  Daisy  and  I  tfet  on  very  well. 
tho  she  does  not  care  a  straw  ahout  either  single 
tax  or  theosophy.  I'm  afraid,  tho.  Knii-st,  that 


MKXKST   \VYNN    IS   I'UX/LKL)  117 

your  coming"  just  now  may  make  it  harder  for  Tre- 
mont,  and  give  Motora  a  better  chance.  I  do  wish 
you'd  be  a  little  more  careful." 

"What  are  you  talking  about  now?"  demanded 
his  friend. 

"Oh,  I  know  you  did  not  mean  to  help  Motora. 
Hut  you  see  your  propaganda  talk,  and  stirring  up 
Dennison  so,  has  made  Miss  Harding  more  eager 
than  ever  to  do  something  to  help  settle  the  land 
question.  Now,  as  I  told  you,  Tremont  lias  never 
thought  it  worth  while  to  study  up  on  that  subject, 
while  Motora  is  going  into  it  like  fits — with  Miss 
Harding  for  teacher — on  the  plea  that  he  wants  to 
utilize  the  knowledge  for  the  good  of  the  Japanese 
when  he  gets  back  to  Japan." 

Ernest  Wynn's  face  lighted  up  with  pleasure. 
"I'm  mighty  glad  to  hear  that,  Grant,  and  I'll  make 
a  chance  to  talk  with  Motora  myself  as  quick  as 
I  can." 

''Then  you'll  help  him  along,"  protested  the 
other. 

"I  want  to  help  anyone  along  who  has  sense 
enough  to  take  a  live  interest  in  the  settlement  of 
the  land  question,"  wras  the  prompt  and  energetic 
retort.  "If  Motora  has  any  sort  of  influence  in 
his  own  country  he  can  do  a  lot  of  good  there  by 
thoroly  understanding  the  land  question  before  he 
goes  back.  I'll  find  out  tomorrow  when  I  can  have 
a  talk  with  him." 

"Now,  there  you  go,  Ernest,  without  a  bit  of 
thought.  Do  you  want  Motora  to  hold  two  cards  to 
Tremont 's  one?" 


i  H  Tin:  soi  i,  or  THI:  \VOKLI> 

"How's  that  .'"  ;m.l  there  \vas  ;.  flicker  of  a  smile 
in  Ernest  Wynn's  eyes. 

"Of  course  .Motora  was  brought  up  a  Buddhist, 
and  he  is  a  line  oriental  scholar  besides,  so  he  kimws 
;is  much  as  Tremont  can  about  Kastcru  religions 
and  metaphysics.  Now  he  is  all  on  h're  about  the 
laud  question  —  Daisy  told  me  of  it — and  Tremont 
has  never  thought  it  worth  while  to  study  up  on 
that—" 

"\\V11.  he  ought  to,"  broke  in  Kruest  \Vynii. 
bluntly,  "and  you  ought  to  try  to  interest  him  in  it." 

Again  the  tolerant  smile  appeared.  "1  won't 
argue  that  point.  Ernest.  \Ve  all  have  our  own 
places  to  fill,  and — oh, "he  cheeked  himself  abruptly. 
"there  comes  Daisy  up  the  hill." 

"Mrs.  Fujita  came  last  night,  and  1  never 
HMV  Glen  look  so  happy  before,"  .Mrs.  Norwood 
announced,  when  she  had  greeted  the  guest.  "Mi-. 
Motora  was  at  the  Dennisons'  all  the  afternoon,  and 
those  three  talked  and  talked  in  the  happiest 
fashion,  out  in  the  arbor,  after  Mr.  Prior  left.  I 
would  not  be  a  bit  surprised  if  Glen  married  Mr. 
Motora.  Having  her  great  friend — Birdie  gaya 
Glen  and  .Mrs.  Fujita  have  been  the  most  intimate 
friends  for  years  and  years — in  Japan,  would  nat 
urally  make  it  easier  for  Glen  to  go  there,  too. 
Km  m  some  bits  of  the  talk  that  I  heard.  I  judge 
that  Mr.  Motora  is  trying  to  make  Glen  think  she 
could  do  a  great  work  in  the  world  by  going  to 
Japan  and  helping  them  settle  their  land  question." 

"There  now,  you  see,  Ernest,  how  you  have  helped 
Motora,"  exclaimed  Grant  Norwood. 


ERNEST  WYNN  IS  PUZZLED  119 

Mrs.  Norwood  laughed.  "You  are  funny  some 
times,  Grant.  Now  I  will  tell  you  both  a  bit  of 
fact.  If  Glen  Harding  ever  marries  she  will  decide 
on  the  man  for  herself,  regardless  of  anyone  else's 
opinions  or  wishes." 

"I  think,  myself,  that  Grant  is  a  little  too  anxious 
to  help  on  Miss  Harding 's  choice,"  said  Ernest 
Wynn,  smiling.  "It  is  really  none  of  our  business." 

"I  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Wynn,"  assented  Mrs. 
Norwood,  heartily.  "Glen  Harding  is  old  enough 
and  sensible  enough  to  settle  such  a  matter  for  her 
self." 


v 


AN  J.MI'OKTANT  DISCOVEKY. 

.Monday  morning  ••ainr.  eloudless  and  glorious. 
and  the  hour  after  dawn  found  Ernest  \Vynii 
walking  briskly  al«>n<j  <;raud  Avenue  in  front  of 
Arr<»\n  Vista.  Eagerly  his  eyes  >,  -an-hrd  the  irarden 
as  he  paused  at  the  cut  ranee.  hut  all  was  <|iiid 
in  front,  and  the  lionsc  looked  desei'ted.  as  tho 
its  ininati-s  still  slept.  However,  he  knew  the 
<rai-dener's  ways  too  well  to  be  deceived  by  ihe 
nninliabited  stillness  of  the  front  garden.  (t)niek 
eninir  his  steps  he  soon  turned  tin-  COrn«T  and  irained 
a  point  from  wliieh  the  rear  and  north  sides  of  th«- 
.irronnds  could  be  966B, 

^  M,  there  she  was,  luisy  with  hose  and  lioe  ainonir 
the  bright  beds  and  hanks  of  bloom.  He  watehed 
h'T  for  a  moment  how  Lrraeefnl  and  strong  sin- 
looked.  bendinir  now  and  a«;ain  to  her  task  with 
<|iiiek.  yet  unhurried  inovemeiits-  then  he  eontin- 
ned  rapidly  down  the  hill  and  up  the  garden  path. 

<Jlen    llardinu    saw    him    eoiiiin.ir    and    met    him    at 
the    t<»p    with    extended    hand.      "What     is    it?"    she 
look    as   tho   you    had    come   to    tell    me 


Kriu-st     \Vynii    smiled.      "I    ho|>e    you    will    find    it 

id  news.      1  have  brought   the  papen  I   pi-omised." 

lie  1o(,k  a  lou<_r  eiivi-lope  from  his  poeket   and  handed 

her    a    number   of    eloselv    written    sheets       "I    went 


AN   IMPORTANT   DISCOVERY  121 

over  it  all  very  thoroly  yesterday,  and  I  want  you 
to  tell  me  what  you  think  of  it.  Could  you  read  it 
right  away?  I'll  attend  to  the  irrigating." 

"Very  well,"  she  assented  promptly,  noticing  the 
only  half-suppressed  eagerness  in  his  voice.  "There 
are  these  three  long  borders  to  attend  to,  and  I  can 
sit  right  here."  She  took  the  manuscript  to  a 
near-by  garden  seat,  across  which  the  earliest  sun 
light  now  threw  its  warming  beam,  and  became 
absorbed  in  reading. 

Ernest  Wynn  watched  her  as  she  read,  glancing 
aside  from  his  work  of  guiding  the  life-giving  water 
among  the  masses  of  verbenas,  phlox  and  candytuft, 
and  then  on  to  the  gay  nasturtiums  the  humming 
birds  love.  He  saw  her  expression  change  from  a 
look  of  eager  interest  to  one  of  intense  thought,  and 
again  to  a  glow  of  triumph,  as  she  read  the  last 
sheet.  Then  she  looked  up  and  smiled,  and  in  the 
brightness  of  that  smile  Ernest  Wynn  felt  that  he 
had  gained  a  prize  of  great  worth — the  full  appre 
ciation  of  one  who  thoroly  understood. 

"Oh,  Mr.  Wynn,"  she  said,  "when  did  you  do 
it?  Have  you  had  this  in  mind  all  along?  How 
could  you  keep  it  from  me?" 

"T  have  had  to  hold  onto  myself  rather  firmly, 
more  than  once,  Miss  Harding,  when  you  came  so 
near  expressing  the  same  thought.  The  idea  of 
exactly  what  constitutes  a  balanced  land  tenure 
came  to  me  nearly  a  year  ago ;  but  when  I  tried  to 
discuss  it  with  single  taxers.  expecting  them  to  see 
it  at  once  and  to  be  interested  in  spreading  the 
light,  T  met  with  such  an  utter  lack  of  compre- 


ii'-j  TIM-:  sou,  or  THI-:  WOULD 

hension  among  them  that  it  almost  stunned  me. 
Then  I  felt  tliat  1  had  better  work  the  idea  out  more 
fully  and  test  it  in  all  the  ways  I  could  before 
trying  a.irain.  The  more  I  have  studied  .»ver  it.  the 
more  certain  1  have  become  tliat  1  have  really  dis 
covered  a  irreat  truth." 

"Assuredly  yon  have.  Mr.  Wynn!"  and  her  face 
and  voice  expressed  a  great  joy.  "This  is  precise!} 
the  balance  1  had  so  long  felt  there  must  be  to  put 
the  tenure  of  land  on  a  thoroly  scientific  basis.  I 
was  sure  there  must  be  such  a  law.  and  that  il 
could  be  found.  You  have  found  it!" 

"Then  yon  find  the  explanation  of  the  sourer 
of  ground  rent  a  reasonable  one.'" 

"Most  decidedly:  And  yon  have  made  it  so  dear 
in  this" — her  grasp  lightened  on  the  manuscript  in 
her  hand  "tliat  ;myone  can  understand  it.  I  am 
SO  glad!  so  glad!  I  feel  as  tho  all  the  mystery 
and  complexity  had  suddenly  fallen  away  from  tin- 
whole  problem,  and  that  here  we  have  at  last  the 
solid  rock  of  a  simple  truth  on  which  to  take  our 
stand." 

"I  hoped-  -I  thought  you  would  see  it  so!  We 
have  all  been  floundering  along  in  a  sea  of  error, 
and  yet  the  truth  is  so  simple  and  plain  that  it  is 
a  marvel  we  did  not  see  it  long  ago.  Hut  now  we 
have  found  it."  he  concluded,  energetically,  "we 
•  •an  make  the  work  for  true  freedom  g<»  ahead  with 
a  vim  !" 

"It  must!  Il  shall!  I  want  Will  to  see  this 
paper.  He  is  probably  downstairs  by  this  time,  for 
he  said  last  ui'_rht  that  he  meant  to  see  the  sun  rise 


AN    IMPORTANT    DISCOVERY  lil:i 

once  this  spring,"  she  laughed.  "And  Helen,  too. 
I  want  to  show  it  to  her.  I  mean  my  friend,  Mrs. 
Fujita.  She  came  Saturday  evening.  J  want 
yen  to  meet  her,  for  she  is  very  much  interested 
in  sociology,  and  will,  1  hope,  have  the  opportunity 
to  do  great  good  in  Japan." 

"Mrs.  Norwood  mentioned  that  your  friend  had 
come,  and  that  was  one  reason  why  1  came  so  early 
this  morning.  I  thought  you  could  read  my  paper 
and  then  I  would  go  away  without  disturbing  the 
others  or  taking  your  time  from  your  friend." 

"Indeed,  you  will  not  go,  Mr.  Wynn,"  was  the 
quick  response;  and  as  the  gardener  looked  over 
the  flower  beds  she  smiled.  "You  have  worked 
well,  and  these  flowers  are  all  right  for  today. 
I 'lease  put  the  hoe  in  the  shed  while  I  turn  off  the 
water."  They  met  again  at  the  head  of  the  path, 
and  Glen  Harding  led  the  way  to  the  house. 

"I've  gone  carefully  over  all  the  articles  you  left 
with  me,"  she  said,  "and  Helen  and  I  were  quizzing 
Will  yesterday.  I  think  you  have  prepared  him  to 
understand  and  take  hold  of  this  at  once.  I  believe, 
Mr.  Wynn—  '  she  stopped  in  the  path  and  faced 
her  companion — "I  feel  sure  that  you  have  made 
one  of  the  most  important  discoveries  that  ever 
has  been  or  ever  can  be  made." 

Ernest  Wynn's  eyes  shone.  "I  hope  that  I  have 
found  the  truth,"  he  said.  "I  want  you  to 
help  me  by  putting  it  to  every  test  you  can  think 
of.  If  it  is  true,  it  is  a  genuine  law — the  law  con 
trolling  harmonious  human  association.  The  very 
thing  we  have  looked  for  so  long." 


i_*  Tin:  son,  op  Tin-:  WOULD 

"It  is  ton  simple  and  clear  to  be  false."  was  the 
quick  reply.  <4i  may  have  time  to  ivad  tins  to 
Will  and  Helen  before  breakfast — my  sister  will 
want  yon  to  stay  and  we  can  see  how  it  strikes 
them.  There  is  Will  now.  and  1  caught  a  glimpse 
of  Helen  on  the  side  porch  a  moment  ago.  Will," 

she     ealled.    "enme    out     Oil     till*    porch,     I     have    some 

tiling   interest  MIL;    to   show  you." 

"All  ri jrht.  in  a  moment."  Then,  as  he  appeared 
at  the  door.  "What  is  it.'  Oh.  von  there.  Wynn  .' 
(ilad  to  see  yon."  and  he  held  out  a  cordial  hand. 

"Mr.  Wynn  has  found  something.  Will,  that  we 
have  all  been  hunting  for  this  long  time."  said  (ilen 
Harding.  "1  want  to  read  this  paper."  indicating 
the  manuscript  she  held,  "to  yon  and  Helen,  and 
Bee  what  yon  think  of  it.  Oh."  she  laughed.  "1 
forgot  to  present  you.  .Mr.  Wynn.  and  it  is  hardly 
necessary  to  go  thru  the  formality:  Mr.  Wynn.  Mrs. 
Fu.jita."  she  added,  and  they  shook  hands  heartily. 
M  Mrs.  Fujita  remarked  : 

"Your  name,  at  least,  is  entirely  familiar  to  me. 
Mr.  Wynn.  thru  your  single  tax  work  that  has  been 
reported  in  our  papers  " 

The  four  settled  themselves  in  the  comfortable 
porch  chairs  and  (ilen  Harding  read  the  article 
thru  without  making  any  eomment.  while  Krnesl 
Wynn  noted  its  effect.  Mrs.  Fujita 's  face  wore  a 
thoughtful,  rather  pu/./led  expression,  then  gradu 
ally  cleared  into  a  keen  interest,  as  she  listened 
intently  to  the  reading.  Will  Dennison  looked 
earnest,  absorbed,  surprised,  and  then  a  smile  of 
pleasure  lighted  up  his  handsome  face.  As  his 


AN    LMI'OKTANT   DISCOVERY  125 

sister-in-law  ceased  reading',  lie  sprang  up,  and 
grasping  their  guest's  hand,  shook  it  ardently. 

"Wynn,"  he  exclaimed,  "you  have  done  it,  and 
no  mistake!  I'll  pay  you  the  highest  compliment  I 
can.  T  think  your  discovery  is  Henry  George  plus!" 

Glen  Harding  lo  >ked  delighted.  "I  thought  you 
would  understand  its  importance,  Will.  It  is  like 
putting  the  keystone  into  the  arch  built  by  Patrick 
Edward  Dove  and  Henry  George." 

"I  want  to  be  sure  that  1  understand  it  clearly, 
too,"  observed  Mrs.  Fujita,  as  Will  Dennison  sat 
down  again.  "I  never  could  get  the  single  tax 
clear  in  my  mind — that  is,  just  how  it  could  be 
equitably  worked  out  in  regard  to  highways." 

"It  could  not,"  said  Glen  Harding,  decisively. 

"This  new  idea  sounds  as  tho  it  might  settle  the 
whole  problem,"  continued  Mrs.  Fujita,  thought 
fully,  "but  I  am  not  certain  that  I  quite  grasp  it— 
tho  it  seems  so  simple." 

"A  good  way  to  be  sure  you  understand  another 
person's  thought  is  to  restate  it  in  your  own  words. 
Suppose  you  try  that,  Mrs.  Fujita,"  suggested 
Ernest  Wynn. 

"Very  well,  just  let  me  think  a  minute,"  agreed 
Mrs.  Fujita.  "No  one,"  she  began,  "has  or  can  have 
any  natural  right  to  keep  or  put  other  people  off  the 
earth.  But  in  order  to  use  the  land  for  homes  or 
business  we  must  have  exclusive  possession  of  loca 
tions.  This  is  impossible  without  common  ways,  and 
some  persons  must  maintain  those  parts  of  the  land 
in  proper  condition  for  common  use  at  all  times. 
This  work  adds  advantages  to  the  locations  held  in 


'nil-:  son.  o*  THI-; 


exclusive    possession.       Hellce.    if    each    pel'sull 

;in    advanta^'-d    location    pays    ihe    exacl    amount    of 
thai   advantage  to  the  Mippori    of  the  common   Ways, 
the  accounts  will   balance.  and  equal   freedom   in  the 
irth   he  secured." 

"Kxacily."  exclaimed  (ileii  Ilardiiii:.  "It  is  what 
Patrick  Kdward  l)..\e  wa.s  trying  to  •:«•!  at  when  lie 
talked  of  the  '  eijiiil  il.riuin  oi'  e<|uity.' 

"It   (M-rtainly  looks  plain  enough."  said   Will   Den 
nison.  "tho   I   <-an  think  of  a   lot   of  (questions  likely 
to  come   iij)  when   we  tret   to  telling  it    to  others." 

"Of  course."  asM'iitcd  the  discoverer,  "and  it  will 
easily  stand  the  test  of  all  of  them  if  it  is  true." 

"I    know    it    will."   asserted   Glen    IIanliu«r.    earn 

estly.       "It     is    simple    and    de;ii-.    ;ui(l    those    are    sure 

.sijrns  ol'  the  truth." 

"It  certainly  looks  that  way,"  added  Mi's.  Fujita 
"I  shall  study  it  out  thoroly." 

"<hir  propaganda  can  <jo  ahead  with  a  lot  more 
vigor  now  that  we  can  show  exactly  what  must  be 

don,-   t<»  secure   e<|lial    freedom    in    the   Use  of  the   earth. 

and  why  nothing  else  will  do  it.  '  Glen  Ilardiim  's 
voice  had  a  determined  ring. 

"TL;i!\  so."  joined  in  her  lirothcr-iii-law.  "  \Ve 
i.iiist  ,i:«-t  our  plains  in  shape.  an<l  then 

"What  are  you  people  talking  o\.-r  so  .seriously. 
this  liri«rhi  morning.'"  broke  in  a  gft^  \oice.  and 
.Mrs.  Dennison  appeared  in  the  doorway.  "(Jood 
m.-niinir.  .Mr.  Wynn."  as  she  saw  the  ^uest.  "now 
I  shall  not  have  l<»  send  f<.r  you.  The  children  lixed 
up  a  'surprise'  yesterday,  «-sin-eiall>\  for  you,  and 
made  me  |>romise  to  ask  you  to  come  today  and 


AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERS  127 

it.  They  were  so  much  taken  with  a  story  you  told 
them  the  other  day  that  they  spent  most  of  yester 
day  forenoon  working  it  out  in  their  sand  bed.  I 
really  think  it  is  quite  wonderful!"  A  touch  of 
loving  pride  came  into  the  mother's  eyes.  "There 
they  come  now"  she  added,  as  the  patter  of  little 
feet  sounded  round  the  corner  of  the  house.  "Chil 
dren,"  she  called,  "Mr.  Wynn  is  here."  A  shout, 
a  rush,  and  the  children  swarmed  about  their  friend, 
baby  Carol  accepting  a  helping  hand  and  scrambling 
on  his  knees. 

"We  will  not  tell  Mr.  Wynu  anything  about  it 
now,  children,"  their  mother  smiled  mysteriously. 
"After  breakfast  you  shall  show  him.  We  must  all 
go  in  now  and  have  something  to  eat." 

"Mr.  Wynn  has  made  a  great  discovery,  Birdie," 
said  her  husband,  as  they  took  their  places  at  the 
table,  "and  I'll  get  you  interested  in  sociology  yet, 
for  now  we  can  make  it  all  plain  to  you." 

"Oh,  if  you  can  do  that,  I  will  listen,"  was  the 
laughing  reply.  "But  really,  Mr.  Wynn,"  and  she 
turned  a  serious  face  to  the  guest  beside  her,  "it 
has  always  seemed  to  me  that  the  single  tax  plan 
would  level  us  all  down  rather  than  up;  and  I  don't 
like  the  way  single  taxers  talk  of  my  children. 
However,  I  must,  confess  that  the  whole  subject  is 
merely  a  haze  to  me.  tho  I  have  listened  by  the  hour 
to  Glen  and  Will  discussing  it." 

"You  are  right  about  the  leveling  down,  Mrs.  Den- 
nison,  but  I  do  not  understand  the  reference  to  your 
children.  What  can  single  taxers  say  about  them?" 
AVynn  looked  perplexed. 


i-js  THI:  &  >i  i.  •  >!••  nit;  \\<>I:LI» 

"What  in  the  world  do  you  mean.  Birdie.'"  ex 
claimed  her  husband. 

"I  don't  mean  they  are  ment  loned  by  name!  l>ut 
don't  you  remember.  Will-  and  you  were  there,  too. 
Mr.  Wynn  the  other  day.  just  as  I  happened  in  at 
thr  office.  Mr.  Franklin  was  remarking  that  every 
.-liild  hoi-;)  in  Pasadena  added  four  hundred  dollars 
to  the  value  of  lots  in  the  business  section  of  town.1 
•  lust  as  tho  my  babies  wen-  somebody's  property  and 
had  a  price!  People  must  have  spoken  in  just  such 
a  way  of  a  negro  child  horn  on  a  southern  planta 
tion  before  the  war  -  I  don't  like  it  a  bit!'' 

"Why,  P>irdie.  1  never  thought  of  such  a  thing," 
ejaculated  her  husband,  "and  I'm  quite  sure  no  such 
notion  crossed  Franklin's  mind." 

"Nor  did  I  think  of  it— at  that  time — yet  I  onirht 
to  have  noticed  it,  too,"  said  Knn-st  Wynn.  "fur 
Henry  (ieorge  pointed  out  lony:  a«r«»  that  our  indus 
trial  system  under  land  ownership — is  only  a 
refined  form  of  slavery.  You  have  given  me  a  new 
idea.  Mrs.  Dennison.  The  very  fact  that  the  worth 
of  a  child  in  connection  with  the  single  tax  -could 
be  seriously  stated  in  tei-ms  of  dollars  and  cents 
"iiirht  to  have  shown  us  that  there  was  something 
wrong  with  tin-  s\st,  m  we  advocated." 

••<)nr  ,,f  the  speakers  at  the  Single  Tax  Confer 
enee  last  fall  said  he  thought  'land  value'  a  mis 
nonirr."  <.l>s»-rvcd  Mrs.  Fujita.  "lie  said  the  value 
alta-'hed  to  the  people  to  populat  ion-  'if  the  peo 
ple  of  a  community  move  away  the  so-called  "land 
value"  vanished  with  them;  if  they  come  ba«-kr  it 


AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERY  J2i) 

(•nines   back.     It   is  inherent   in   the  people. 
Tt  is  people  value.'  ' 

"There  is  a  flaw  in  that  reasoning,"  Ernest  Wynii 
responded,  promptly.  "The  presence  of  those  peo 
ple — exactly  the  same  in  number — gives  no  'value' 
whatever  to  land  used  in  common,  so  long  as  it  is 
actually  common  and  open  to  the  use  of  all.  The 
land  used  as  streets  in  the  heart  of  the  most  densely 
populated  city  has  no  'value'  unless  a  special  priv 
ilege  in  the  shape  of  some  franchise  or  license — 
that  is,  the  power  of  appropriation,  of  robbery — 
has  been  granted  to  some  person  or  persons.  Then 
the  'value'  at  once  becomes  'all  the  traffic  will  bear! 
It  is  neither  'land  value'  nor  'people  value,'  but 
wholly  the  robber  power  of  taxation,  the  tribute 
compelling  p;>wer  of  property  in  privileges." 

"Yet  it  is  a  fact,  for  all  our  real  estate  specula 
tion  is  based  on  it,"  said  Will  Dennison,  "that 
every  increase  of  our  population,  whether  by  birth 
or  immigration,  shows  up  in  increased  land  values." 

"Of  course  it  does,  Will,  under  the  inequitable 
conditions  in  which  we  are  living,"  Glen  Harding 
spoke  quickly,  "for  it  gives  the  land  owners  that 
many  more  subjects  from  whom  to  wring  tribute 
money  under  the  name  of  rent  or  purchase  price  of 
land.  I  have  no  doubt  that  every  increase  of  travel 
thru  Robin  Hood's  woods  added  materially  to  his 
income — it  certainly  has  that  effect  with  our  modern 
highwaymen,  on  railroads  and  street  car  lines! 
They  charge  all  they  can  hope  to  get,  and  of  course 
the  more  people  there  are  who  must  travel  over 


I;;H  Tin-:  SOUL  Of  Till'.  \V<»KIJ> 

tlu-ir    lines    tin-    jri-eater    the    'value'      the    more    the 
o\\  uers  of  the  privilege  can  take   in   tribute." 

"There    is    one    phrase    that    Millie    taXefs    llUVC   COH- 

stantiy  used."  he^an  Mrs.  Fu.jita,  "that  appears  to 
sound  well  and  yet  has  never  seemed  plain  to  me, 
the  how  of  it.  I  mean  ;  just  how  the  e<>mmunity  does 
it.  I  suppose  we  have  all  said  it  lots  of  times.  hut 
I  never  heard  it  satisfactorily  explained:  'The 
eoliinmnity  creates  land  values  and  therefore  land 
values  should  he  taken  by  the  community,  and  the 
single  tax  will  do  it.'  It  seems  to  me  that  all  taxes 
paid  in  products,  or  money  obtained  thru  the 
sale  of  products,  that  are  the  result  of  individual 
effort.  Whether  that  ell'ort  is  exerted  alone  or  in 
company  with  other  workers  d»i -s  not  seem  to  me  to 
make  my  share  of  it  any  different  -I  use  my  own 
hands  and  hrain  in  any  ease,  to  accomplish  iriven 
results." 

"I    lniiir    au'o    decided    that    phrase    was    obviously 
incorrect,   and   <jiiit    usin.tr   it."  said    Hriicst    \Vyini. 

"Yet  the  community  does  create  land  values." 
Glen  Harding  spoke  up  decidedly.  "The  com 
munity—local  or  national  eiiacls  and  maintains 
the  statutes  which  make  lei:al  proper!  \  of  the  e\ 
elusive  possession  of  la  nd  -  \vhet  ln-r  it  takes  the 
form  of  o\\iicrshi|)  of  certain  plots  of  land  or  of  a 
riuht  of  way  over  streets  or  other  strips  of  land— 
and  thus  fives  bo  a  few  persons  the  special  priv 
ilege  of  s(|Uee/iiiLr  all  the  tribute  they  can  from  all 
the  people  who  have  to  live  on  or  ^o  over  that  land." 

"I  see,  I  see."  admitted   Kni.-st    YVynn.     "Really. 
Miss    Hardinir.   you    have   hit    the    nail   square   on   the 


AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERY  131 

head!     In   that   sense   the   community   does   'create 
land  values.'  ! 

"But  for  the  government  to  take  such  tribute  by 
the  single  tax,  or  in  any  other  way,  would  be  sim 
ply  robbing  the  robbers,"  objected  Mrs.  Fujita. 

"It  does  look  so,"  added  Will  Dennison,  "and 
I'm  quite  sure  Henry  George  did  not  work  for  any 
such  object." 

"Surely  not,  Will,"  exclaimed  his  sister-in-law. 
"Henry  George  worked  for  freedom.  Don't"  you 
remember  his  reply  to  William  Lloyd  Garrison : 
'You  say  you  do  not  see  in  the  single  tax  a  panacea 
for  poverty.  Nor  yet  do  I.  The  panacea  for  pov 
erty  is  freedom.'  ' 

"But  the  idea  was  that  we  could  secure  freedom 
thru  the  application  of  the  single  tax,"  persisted 
Will  Dennison. 

"What  Henry  George  taught" — Ernest  Wynn 
took  up  the  explanation — "was  that  ground  rent 
could  be  taken  under  the  form  of  a  tax,  and  this 
led  to  the  adoption  of  the  name  'single  tax'  and 
the  confusion  of  'rent ''and  'land  values.'  But  it  is 
clear  that  Henry  George  fully  realized  that  true 
freedom  could  only  be  secured  thru  the  settling  of 
the  land  question  by  establishing  a  just  land  tenure 
He  plainly  stated  that  'the  tenure  of  land  is  the 
fundamental  fact  which  must  ultimately  determine 
the  conditions  of  industrial,  social  and  political  life.' 
Hence,  in  working  for  a  balanced  land  tenure  we 
will  be  going  directly  on  in  the  cause  for  which 
Henry  Georgp  lived  and  died." 


THK   S<ML  <>r  THE   WOK  LI  > 

"Thru  I'll  be  with  you  to  tin-  finish.  Wyiin.  and 
help  all  T  can."  vowed  Will  Dennison  fervently. 

The  discoverer's  eyei  sparkled  with  bright  hope 
fulness.  "That  means  inneh  for  the  cause.  Mr. 
|)ennisMii.  Now  that  we  know  the  BXacI  BQUTCe  of 
real  rent  we  neeessarily  also  know  exactly  how  it 
inns!  he  s|)riit  in  order  to  maintain  equity,  and  we 
••an  take  a  firm  stand  for  equal  freedom  thru  this 
simple  balancing  of  the  land  tenure." 

"It  begins  to  look  to  me.  Mr.  \Vynn.  as  tho  your 
discovery  would  take  away  the  vagueness  from  a 
<_rood  many  phrases  we  single  taxers  have  been 
using  without  really  knowing  just  what  we  meant 
by  them."  remarked  Mrs.  Kujita. 

"I  have  found  it  so."  assented  Krnest  \Vynu. 
"It  dears  up  m..M  of  the  minor  difficulties  by  elim 
inating  them  by  showing  that  they  belong  wholly 
to  the  inequitable  conditions  brought  about  by  an 
unbalancing  of  the  land  tenure.  Such  things  can 
have  no  place  in  the  simple  mechanism  of  the  nat 
ural  law  governing  regulating  the  association  of 
persons  under  really  free,  that  is.  normal  condi 
tions." 

"How  long  have  you  been  working  on  this  line. 
Wynn?"  His  host's  tone  axpretted  some  curiosity. 

"I  don't  know  exactly,  but  for  a  number  of  year?, 

You    see.    I    felt    the    need    of   all    exact    balance    between 

revenue    and    expenditure,    and    I    was    impressed    by 
Herbert      Spencer's     statement     that     nature's    rules 
have   no   exception*.      You    remember   it.    Miss   Hard 
in«_r.      You   once  quoted   it    in   a   letter:     'There  is  no 


AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERY  133 

alternative.  Either  society  has  laws  or  it  has  not. 
Tf  it  has  not,  there  can  be  no  order,  no  certainty,  no 
system  in  the  phenomena.  If  it  has,  then  they  are 
like  the  other  laws  of  the  universe,  ever  active,  and 
having  no  exceptions.'  I  felt  there  must  be  such  a 
law  and  I  set  out  to  find  it." 

"And,  like  the  man  who  prayed  his  way  thru, 
you  thought  your  way  thru,"  said  Will  Dennison. 
"I  congratulate  you  on  the  result." 

"I'm  so  glad,  Mr.  Wynn,  that  you  got  out  of  the 
woods,  so  to  speak,  while  I  am  still  here  to  profit  by 
it,"  said  Mrs.  Fujita.  "I  shall  want  to  go  over  a 
lot  of  points  with  you  that  are  crowding  into  my 
mind  this  minute,  for  I  want  to  take  as  definite  and 
plain  a  message  to  Japan  as  I  possibly  can." 

"I  shall  be  delighted  to  have  you  bring  up  all 
the  questions  you  can  think  of,"  wras  the  ready 
response. 

"We  must  tell  Mr.  Motora  of  this  discovery  of 
yours  as  soon  as  we  can,  Mr.  Wynn,  for  now  we  can 
answer  all  his  objections  and  explain  several  prob 
lems  that  he  has  found  perplexing,"  said  Glen 
Harding. 

ITor  sister  looked  up  quickly:  "How  would  if 
do.  Glen,  lor  you  and  Helen  to  take  the  touring- 
car  for  your  ride  to  Hollywood,  and  have  Mr.  Wynn 
and  Mr.  Motora  go  with  you?  Then  you  could 
talk  sociology  all  you  want  to  and  see  the  country 
at  the  same  time.  I'll  put  in  a  big  hamper  and 
you  could  have  lunch  wherever  you  wished.  Could 
you  pro,  Mr.  Wynn?  Would  you  like  it,  Helen?" 


i.u  THI:  BOUL  <>r  TIIK  \\<>KLI> 

"I'd  lik«-  it  very  much,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Fujita. 
"  When  would  we  go?" 

"Thursday  is  set  apart  l'«»r  Hollywood.  Can  yon 
go  thru.  Mr.  Wynn?" 

''Certainly.  I  can  go.  and  most  gladly.  Mrs.  Den- 
nison.  I'll  scurry  about  a  little  faster  in  the  mean 
time  and  try  to  look  up  the  persons  I  had  bonked 
for  that  day." 

"Hut  yon  won't  go  till  you've  seen  mir  surprise, 
Mr.  \Vynn.'"  Merwyn  spoke  anxiously  as  the  group 
rose  from  the  table. 

"No.  indeed!  I  will  not  begin  to  hurry  until  you 
have  shown  me  all  you  want  to."  responded  Ernest 
\Vynn.  smiling  down  into  the  eager  little  face. 

"Run  along  then,  children."  said  their  mother, 
"and  show  Mr.  \Vynn  what  you  have  done." 

"Thank  you.  IJirdie!  You  are  just  splendid  at 
planning  good  times  for  me,"  her  sister  stopped  to 
say.  when  the  others  had  left  the  room. 

"I  wish  I  eonld  make  good  times  for  everyone!" 
Mrs.  Dennis. ,M  smiled,  but  then-  was  a  touch  of 
wist  fulness  in  her  voice. 

"Von  can  do  that,  Hirdie.  by  helping  on  this 
work  for  <M|nal  c.ppnrt  unit  ies.  .lust  think  what  it 
would  be  to  have  no  wretched  poor,  n<»  starving 
children  in  the  world!  It  is  terrible  to  think  of  all 
the  needless  suffering---  it  is  even  here  in  this  glor 
ious  land.  " 

II. -r  sixt.-r  shivered.  "Don't  think  of  it.  Glen— 
not  tOO  much.  If  there  really  is  a  way  thru  which 

slieh      MlixiM'N      ''an      be     stopped      I      will     help     YOU     all      I 


AN    IMPORTANT   DISCOVBBY  135 

can.  But  go  on  now  and  ask  Mr.  Wynn  to  wait  till 
I  phone  Mr.  Motora,  so  you  can  arrange  when  to 
start." 

Glen  Harding  found  Ernest  Wynn  and  the  chil 
dren  in  the  garden  beside  the  playhouse,  and  gave 
her  sister's  message,  adding:  "I  wish  you  would 
see  Mr.  Motora  today,  or  tomorrow,  and  let  him 
read  this  manuscript" — she  gave  back  the  papers 
she  had  kept — "then  he  will  be  ready  to  discuss 
the  subject  Thursday.  He  always  wants  to  think 
over  a  new  subject  or  a  new  idea  before  saying 
much  about  it." 

"I'll  try  to  get  it  to  him  this  morning.  I'd  bet 
ter  go  in  and  speak  to  him  about  it  while  Mrs. 
Dennison  has  him  on  the  phone." 


CHAPTER  9 


ALONG  THE 

A    ineiTN    <|iiartelte   l<-l't    Arroyo    Vista  that    Thurs 
day  morning.     (ilen   Harding  was  driving  and  went 
slowly  round  the  corner  and  down  the  hill,  that   her 
quests    nti.Lrht    enjoy    the    views    of    the    Arroyo    geco 
and    the    gardens    and    orchards    that    rose    from    it. 
sloping   upward    in    hlooin   and   color.      They   CffOMed 
the  bridge  and  climbed  slowly  up  the  winding  road 
to   San    Rafael    Heights.     The    morning    was    cloud 
lesa,   with   not    a  trace  of  fog.  and   the  air  was  deli 
eiously  pure  at    that   early  hour. 

"  \\  V  had  to  coax  my  sister."  (ilen  Harding  was 
saying.  "to  let  us  C0m€  away  without  hreakl'ast  ; 
but  it  is  so  delight  I'ul  to  sit  on  Kagle  Rock  in  the 
early  sunlight,  and  having  breakfast  there  will  save 
time.  I  was  sure  you  would  all  enjoy  it.'' 

"I  always  like  to  be  out  of  doors  in  such 
weather,"  remarked  Krnest  \Vynn. 

"  I'.reakl'ast  anywhere  with  this  company  would 
tic  charming."  added  lua/o  .Motora. 

They  passed  tile  golf  links  of  the  Annandale 
Country  Club  and  then  (Jlen  Harding  turned  out 
of  the  road,  saying:  "We  can  leave  the  car  here 
This  basket  of  fruit  and  the  small  hamper  are  all 
we  need  for  breakfast.  We  can  take  cushions  for 
M&tt.  Thanks."  as  the  two  men  each  picked  up  a 


ALONG  THE  ROAD  137 

burden  and  all  started  along  the  footpath  toward 
Eagle  Rock. 

"What  a  queer  mass  of  stone  it  is,"  observed 
Mrs.  Fujita,  when  they  had  gained  the  highest  point 
of  the  large  lump  of  conglomerate  that,  on  its  east 
ern  side,  jutted  out  suddenly  from  the  dense 
growth  of  chaparral  that  clothed  the  hillside;  ris 
ing  in  a  steep,  upward  slope,  naked  and  bare,  to 
end  abruptly  toward  the  west  in  a  sheer  precipice 
of  cliff-like  proportions. 

"Why  is  it  called  Eagle  Rock?"  asked  Ernest 
Wynn,  as  he  walked  about  the  uneven  surface. 

"I  believe  it  is  supposed  to  bear  some  resemblance 
to  our  national  bird,  when  seen  from  a  particular 
spot  out  there  along  the  road,"  replied  Glen  Hard 
ing.  "Or  perhaps  the  name  was  suggested  by  the 
bald  head  sticking  out  from  the  dark  shoulders  of 
the  foothills." 

' '  The  view  is  glorious,  Glen !  Do  let  us  have  our 
breakfast  right  up  here,"  begged  Mrs.  Fujita,  look 
ing  about  her  with  the  liveliest  pleasure,  taking  in 
the  green  line  of  the  beautiful  little  canyon  imme 
diately  below  them,  and  then  gazing  beyond  along 
the  lovely  Eagle  Rock  valley,  where  homes  and 
gardens  and  fields  filled  all  the  wide  spaces  and 
spread  over  or  encroached  upon  the  rolling  masses 
of  the  foothills  that  rose,  range  upon  range,  on  the 
north  and  south  and  west. 

As  they  seated  themselves  on  the  cushions  the 
two  men  had  arranged,  Mrs.  Fujita  glanced  back 
toward  the  east,  where,  two  miles  away,  the  fair 


!.:>  TI1K  SOL'L  OF  TIlK   WoKLD 

eity  they  had  left  Ja\  far  spread  in  the  .still  earlx 
morning  sunshine,  and  suddenly  exclaimed:  "Do 
look  there!  It  seems  as  tho  there  was  nothing  but  a 
few  hushes  and  a  bit  of  rolling  plain  between  IK 
and  Pasadena!" 

"Is  it  not  an  odd  illusion,  .Mrs.  Fujita?  As  tin* 
the  Arroyu  hail  no  existence,"  said  lna/o  Motora. 

"It  docs  have  that  appearance-."  commented 
Ernest  Wynn,  turning  to  get  a  better  view.  "Any 
one  unacquainted  with  the  country  and  coming  up 
from  this  side  would  not  suspect  the  existence  of 
such  a  big  gash  in  the  earth — from  any  evidence  at 
this  point." 

(ilcn  Harding  looked  pleased.  "I  see  1  was  nulii 
to  bring  "iir  breakfast,"  she  said.  "1  felt  sure 
you  would  all  enjoy  a  stop  here." 

''You  seem  to  be  as  fond  of  outings,  Miss  Hard 
ing.  as  any  picnic  lover  of  Japan."  observed   Ina/o 
.Mntora,  as  the  dainty   breakfast    was  disappearing. 

"Yes,  I  am  sure  I  love  out  of  doors  as  much  as 
anyone  can.  It  seems  to  me  that  we  make  a  mis 
take  in  shutting  ourselves  up  in  lions. -s  as  most  of 
us  do  in  this  country." 

"I  agree  with  yon.  (ilen."  said  Mrs.  Fu.jita.  "and 
the  airy  openness  of  the  Japanese  houses  rather 
appeals  to  me — if  it  can  l»e  combined  with  due 
warmth  when  that  is  needed.  My  husband  SUL: 
_"  sted  that  he  had  better  have  our  house  built,  as 
so  many  are  now  among  the  well-to-do  of  Japan, 
in  two  parts:  a  purely  native  half  and  another 
American,  and  furnished  accordingly/' 


ALONG  THE  ROAD  139 

"I  expect  to  build  in  that  style  on  my  return 
home,  or  rather,  add  a  well  built  American  house 
to  the  large  Japanese  house  already  on  the  estate," 
said  Inazo  Motora. 

"That  will  make  it  easy  for  you  to  entertain 
American  or  European  friends,"  remarked  Ernest 
Wynn.  "You  can  give  them  a  new  experience,  or 
just  what  they  are  accustomed  to." 

"I  would'  prefer  the  new  experience,"  said  Glen 
Harding.  "But,  Helen,  how  did  you  decide  to  have 
your  home?" 

Her  friend  laughed.  "Oh,  I  told  my  husband  to 
wait  until  I  was  there  and  could  plan  things  my 
self.  I  think  I  can  work  out  a  satisfactory  com 
bination;  with  all  the  disadvantages  of  both  plans 
eliminated  and  all  the  comforts  of  both  retained." 

"Such  an  example  would  be  a  boon  to  Japan, 
Mrs.  Fujita,"  exclaimed  Inazo  Motora,  fervently. 

"You  can  do  it,  Helen,  if  anyone  can,"  assured 
Glen  Harding.  "I  always  knew  a  good  architect 
was  spoiled  when  you  became  a  teacher." 

"Not  spoiled,  I  hope,  but  merely  hindered  in 
development,"  smiled  Mrs.  Fujita.  "I  have  been 
si  inlying  along  that  line  for  some  time  and  I  mean 
to  make  it  my  lifework,  for  the  benefit  of  the  new 
Japan." 

"That  is  good  news  to  me,  Mrs.  Fujita,"  Inazo 
Motora  spoke  earnestly.  "So  much  of  the  new 
building  in  western  style  is  positively  ugly;  yet  I 
am  willing  to  admit  that  the  old  styles  might  be 
improved." 


1 1"  THK  sou,  or  THK  WOULD 

"Is  there  as  great  a  contrast  in  the  homes  of 
your  cities,  Mr.  Motora.  as  there  is  in  the  houses 
we  have  here?"  and  Ernest  Wynn  nodded  toward 
the  collection  of  palaces  and  cottages,  the  long 
streets  of  well-to-do  houses  and.  yes.  even  there, 
anionjr  them  all,  some  shanties  in  which  poverty 
IVM  visible  and  made  more  pitiful  than  pictur 
esque  by  the  attempt  at  floral  decoration — all  now 
heirinnin«r  to  show  up  plainly  in  the  brightening 

sunlight. 

"Perhaps  there  is  not  quite  as  wide  a  gulf  be 
tween  the  best  and  the  worst,"  was  the  reply,  "yet 
the  contrast  is  there,  and  very  sharply  defined." 

"There  ought  not  to  be  sin-h  a  diHVivnee.  surely. 
Mr.  Motora."  Mrs.  Fujita  began,  quest  ioningly ; 
especially  in  a  land  where  so  many  of  the  great 
ones--  -great  in  power  and  in  character -seem  to 
n-ally  desire  the  highest  welfare  of  all  the  people." 

Glen  Harding  glanced  at  her  watch  and  rose 
quickly  to  her  feet.  "We  must  start  on  soon."  she 
said,  "and  I  want  yon  to  look  about  here  a  little 
more." 

"Where  are  we  gninir.'"  asked  Ina/o  Motora. 
taking  the  seat  beside  the  driver  as  they  started 
down  the  hill. 

"Around  by  Glendale  and  Tmpieu  to  Kdgeimmt 
and  Hollywood.  I  want  our  friends  to  see  the 
flowers  there." 

"They  are  a  fine  sight,"  he  returned,  "but  1 
wish  I  could  show  you — all  of  you."  (he  half  turned 
to  include  the  others  "the  flowers  of  Japan.'' 


ALONG  THE  KG  AD  141 

"Maybe  you  will,  some  day,"  suggested  Mrs. 
Pujita.  "I  shall  plan  my  houses  with  a  view  to 
having  a  flower  garden  about  each  one,"  she 
went  on. 

"Then  you  will  have  to  first  plan  a  way  for  each 
family  to  have  more  ground,"  was  the  quick  retort 
of  the  Japanese.  "You  have  no  idea  how  crowded 
together  most  of  our  people  are  living  todaj7. " 

"But  why  need  they  be?  I  want  to  ask  you  seri 
ously,  Mr.  Motora, "  and  Mrs.  Fujita's  tone  became 
very  earnest,  "if  the  land  question  and  its  impor 
tance  to  all  the  people  cannot  be  properly  brought 
to  the  attention  of  the  Emperor  and  those  statesmen 
who  are  helping  him  make  the  new  Japan?" 

"I  wish  that  it  could  be,"  was  the  prompt  and 
hearty  reply,  "but  how  to  go  about  it,  or  exactly 
what  to  propose  is  not  yet  clear  to  me." 

"It  soon  will  be,  Mr.  Motora,"  broke  in  Glen 
Harding,  "now  that  Mr.  Wynn  has  discovered  the 
law  of  human  association.  Pie  has  found  that 
balance  I  have  so  often  insisted  on."  There  was  a 
note  of  triumph  in  her  tone.  "And  we  can  now 
go  right  ahead  and  work  with  all  our  might  for  a 
balanced  land  tenure." 

"And  just  think,  Mr.  Motora,  what  an  everlast 
ing  glory  it  would  be  to  Japan  to  lead  the  whole 
world  in  the  establishment  of  equal  freedom,"  cried 
Mrs.  Fujita,  eagerly. 

"An  Emperor  who  bestows  such  an  untiring 
attention  to  the  affairs  of  his  country  and  to  the 
interests  of  its  people  would  surely  give  to  this 


i  u  THI:  son,  n|-  TNI-:  WOULD 

matter  i»f  ;i   balanced  land  tenure  that   consideration 
which  its  importance  inn-its."  (Jim  Harding  affirmed. 

"I  feel  smv  of  thai."  and  lna/<»  Motora  turned 
his  lartfe  dark  ryes,  now  luminous  with  hope  was 
it  personal  or  nat  ional  .'-  upon  the  radiant  woman 
heside  him.  "  We  are  MI  re  of  his  attention  if  we 
ran  present  the  subjeet  in  a  workable  shape,  as  a 
definite  proposition." 

•  "That  is  exactly  what  we  can  now  do."  was  the 
<|iiick  reply.  "  We  ean  show  elearly  how  and  why 
the  varying  advantages  of  pieces  of  land  held  in 
exclusive  possession  are  exactly  balanced  by  the 
cost  of  maintaining  those  {.arts  of  the  land 
ehietly  highways  neeessaril y  used  in  common." 

"That  is."  Krnest  \Vynn  continued  the  explana 
tion.  "the  rust  of  building  and  maintaining  common 
ways  shows  in  the  form  of  excess  prndnets  on  the 
locations  advantaged.  It  is  really  the  exact  amount 
of  the  excess  produced  on  one  over  another,  where 
e<|nal  amounts  of  labor — of  effort — are  put  into 
production  on  different  pieces  of  land.  The  labor 
expended  on  the  common  ways  is  stored  in  the 
form  of  advantages  attaching  to  the  land  held  in 
•  •\rlnsive  possession,  and  when  the  excess  thus  pro 
dnced  is  paid  by  exclusive  holders  to  those  who 
work  on  the  common  ways  the  advantages  are 

equalized." 

"YOB  src."  added  (ilen  Harding,  "when  we 
know  exactly  where  real  rent  comes  from  \\ .  can 
not  help  knowing  exactly  where  it  onirht  to  <^o  to, 
and  — " 


ALONG  THE  ROAD  143 

"Wait  a  moment,  please,"  interrupted  Inazo 
Motora,  smiling.  "You  are  going  too  fast  for  me. 
I  must  tliink  a  moment  to  get  the  idea  clear  in  my 
mind.  Do  you  mean  that  ground  rent — the  equit 
able  rent  of  locations — and  the  cost  of  building 
and  maintaining  common  ways, — of  course  I  under* 
stand  that  includes  all  lands  used  in  common, — are 
exactly  the  same  in  amount,  because  the  production 
of  the  one  causes  the  existence  of  the  other?" 

"Precisely  that,"  was  the  quick  reply.  "You 
can  see  now  why  rent,  being  the  stored  labor  of 
those  who  maintain  the  common  ways,  cannot  be 
used  for  any  other  purpose  than  paying  for  that 
labor,  without  robbing  either  those  whose  labor 
maintains  the  common  ways  or  those  whose  products 
are  taken  to  pay  for  them.  There  is  no  other  pur 
pose  for  which  rent  can  be  used  without  robbing 
someone.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  no  other 
purposes,  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  equal 
freedom,  for  which  a  common  fund  is  needed.  Rent 
is  a  product.  Products  belong  to  their  producers. 
The  producers  of  rent  are  the  producers  of  the  high 
ways.  So  you  can  see  at  once,  Mr.  Motora,  that  in 
the  recognition  and  application  of  this  fact  lies  the 
power  to  establish  property  in  products  and  elim 
inate  forever  property  in  privileges." 

"I  think  I  understand  you,  Miss  Harding,"  said 
the  Japanese,  slowly.  "The  plan  seems  plain  and 
just ;  yet  special  privileges  are  entrenched  in  power 
everywhere,  even  in  this  great  country  that  is  called 
free.  In  fact,  it  has  been  a  continual  surprise  to 


i  u  TMI-:  SOtfL  <»r  TIIK  \V»»IMJ> 

in.-  tn  obs.-rvc  hn\y  little  of  real  liberty  you  h;iv.> 
here,  where  I  expected  to  find  everyone  indepen 
dent,  at  least  in  thought.  I  find  most  of  ^he  people 
with  whom  I  come  in  contact — and  many  of  them 
Mtt  wealthy — arc  controlled  or  hindered  in  <>iu-  wa\ 
or  another  by  the  inl'uencc  of  their  environment 
due  to  that  property  in  privileges  of  which  you 
speak." 

"It  is  true,"  answered  (lieu  Harding,  thought 
fully,  "and  the  reason  why  the  worst  tyranny  is 
possible  under  the  forms  of  liberty  is  not  hard  to 
Mud.  The  forms  deceive  by  their  SULMT< -si  ion  that 
all  are  free;  while  under  a  nnmarehieal  form  then- 
is  no  such  false  suggestion.  The  utmost  lawlessness 
is  possible  under  so-called  'majority  rule.'  the  real 
fact  being  that  the  'majority'  are  manipulated  by 
a  few  untitled  tyrants.  Hut.  after  all.  Mr.  Motora, 
it  is  only  a  matter  of  degree,  and  the  form  of 
government  makes  little  difference  so  long  as  the 
people  are  everywhere  held  in  bondage  thru  inequit 
able  land  laws — an  unbalanced  land  tenure." 

"You  see.  Mr.  Motora."  and  Krnest  \Vynn  leaned 
eagerly  forward,  <4no  human  statutes  can  ever  be 
beneficial — all  of  them  sooner  or  later  become  act 
ively  evil  to  all  concerned — except  such  as  merel\ 
recMirni/i-  and  formulate  natural  law.  All  nature's 
laws  relating  to  human  association  have  existed 
since  human  life  began  on  our  planet,  but,  like  all 
other  physical  laws,  they  must  be  discovered  and 
our  actions  adjusted  to  harmoni/e  with  them.  The 


ALONG  THE  EOAD  145 

only  beneficial  thing  legislation  can  ever  do  is  to 
recognize  and  apply  natural  law." 

"And  it  is  not  needed  for  that!"  interjected  Glen 
Harding. 

"That  is,  instead  of  making  innumerable  laws 
for  the  guidance  of  the  people,  we  should  give  our 
minds  wholly  to  the  study  of  nature's  intentions, 
so-called.  Is  that  it?"  asked  Mrs.  Fujita. 

"You  mean  that  in  place  of  lawmakers  you 
would  have  scientists?  Would  not  that  tend  to 
cause  science  itself  to  fall  into  a  rut  and  lose  its 
prestige?"  added  Inazo  Motora. 

"No,  indeed,  Mr.  Motora,"  Glen  Harding  spoke 
quickly.  "True  science  can  never  fall  into  ruts 
because  true  science  and  the  orderly  trend  of  nature 
are  one,  and  the  things  to  be  learned  are  almost 
innumerable  in  quantity  and  variability.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  foundation  of  all  science,  like  the 
fact  that  two  straight  lines  cannot  enclose  a  space,  is 
invariable  in  its  action,  immutable.  Hence,  ' nature 
never  lies'  is  the  one  solid  basis  on  which  we  must 
all  stand  if  we  would  really  know,  if  we  would  be 
true  scientists." 

"Oh,  Glen,  see  that  lovely  garden  over  there," 
broke  in  Mrs.  Fujita.  "Can  we  go  around  that 
way?" 

"Yes,  indeed!  That  is  one  of  the  prettiest  ranch 
homes  around  here,  and  I  want  you  to  see  it,  as 
showing  something  of  what  all  our  homes  ought 
to  be." 

"The  Japanese  seem  to  me  to  be  easily  influenced 


I  t'i  TI1K   SOU,  <»!••  TIIK    WuKLh 

by  those  whom  tln.\  n-speet.  and  they  evidently 
want  tin-  best  of  everything  in  the  way  of  knowl- 
<  .',-,.."  said  Mrs.  Kn.jita,  taking  up  the  subject  later 
nn.  as  they  were  eating  th,.jr  lunch  in  the  sh;i<le  of 
;i  irronp  o!'  riM-alyplns  tn-cs.  i.n  a  hill  slojx-  »M»IM- 
m;m(iiii<r  a  l«»vcly  view  <>t'  uioinitain  and  valh-y. 
"They  would  l.e  likely  to  study  the  land  <|iiesti«m 
\vith  nicn-e  i.jM-n  minds  than  some  others  mi^hl 

show." 

"If  your  Kniperor.  .Mr.  Motora.  could  <>n«-<'  i-eal- 
i/e  that  the  est alilishnient  of  a  balanced  hind  tenure 
\\-ould  I'esiilt  in  immediate  and  permanent  hem-fit  to 
every  Japanese — without  any  exceptions — as  well 
as  secure  an  undying  name  for  Japan  as  the  leader 
annular  the1  nations  of  the  earth  in  the  greatest 
movement  the  w(.i'ld  has  ever  known,  he  would 
surely  consider  the  matter  seriously."  urged  Glen 
Harding. 

"Y>-s."  Inaxo  .Motora  assented,  warmly.  4<We 
all.  rich  and  poor,  old  and  younir.  love  mir  Kmperor. 
The  purity  of  his  life  and  the  supi'eme  magnanimity 
he  has  ever  sho\\  n  to  those  who  have  hern  placed  in 
opposition  to  his  eahinet  have  won  our  profound 

respert.         \Va  1  «'ll  i  Fl.iT      his      life      We      eallliot       hilt      tlllllk 

that  he  studies  personally  the  welfare,  happm--^ 
and  real  comfort  of  his  people." 

"Then  he  will  certainly  wish  to  understand  tin- 
law  of  human  association  the  law  that  henelits 
every  ptWWfc,  and  i>  incapable  of  injuring  any  one 
— and  apply  it  in  Japan,"  persisted  (lieu  Harding. 
"Just  think  of  the  miserable,  worthless  sort  of  thing 


ALONG  THE  KOAD  147 

life  is — compared  with  what  it  might  so  easily  be- 
when  it  has  to  be  spent  almost  wholly  in  a  bitter 
struggle  to  merely  exist.  Then  think  of  the  possi 
bilities  of  life  with  a  balanced  land  tenure  to  insure 
equal  freedom,  where  none  could  be  troubled 
about  the  means  of  existence,  and  all  of  each  per 
son's  physical  and  mental  powers  will  be  developed 
to  their  highest  capacities.  Every  one  will  then  be 
worth  looking  up  to — be  worthy  the  admiration 
and  respect  of  friends  and  neighbors.  Think  what 
it  means  that  your  Emperor  has  it  within  his  power 
to  bring  about  such  conditions  in  Japan." 

"If  the  spirit  of  mere  money  getting  has  not 
gained  too  strong  a  hold  in  your  country,  Mr. 
Motora,  -your  Emperor  can  do  it,"  interjected 
Ernest  Wynn.  "I  have  found  a  number  of  my 
own  countrymen  who  are  now  given  over  to  money 
making  who  were  active  workers  for  reform  ten 
years  ago." 

"I  am  sorry  to  say  the  same  tendency  is  observ 
able  in  Japan.  Commercialism  is  getting  control 
there,  too.  I  suppose  it  is  due  to  human  avaricious- 
ness." 

"Don't  put  it  that  way,  Mr.  Motora,"  was  the 
quick  retort.  "Human  nature  is  not  avaricious. 
Live  and  let  live  is  the  normal  spirit.  Even  the 
most  cruel  sportsman  will  often  interfere  to  help 
the  under  dog  when  it  seems  helpless.  The  love 
of  fair  play  is  natural.  Avariciousness  is  an 
excrescence,  resulting  from  an  unbalanced  land 
tenure." 

"Human  avarice  a  result  of  an  unbalanced  land 


us  1:111:  sun.  <>r  TNI-: 

tenure,"  repeated  Ina/o  Motora,  introspectively. 
"No!  That  io  not  exactly  stated,  altho  the  latter 
i-  an  influential  factor  in  aggravating  the  former's 
manifestations.  H<. wever,  I  believe  I  know  where 
the  root  is.  Jt  is  deeply  seated  in  the  make-up  of 
the  average  present-day  humanity,  not  withstand 
ing  the  fact  that  tin-re  are.  also  quite  a  number  of 
wholesome  and  well  balanced  traits,  such  as  tin- 
love  of  freedom  and  fairness,  appreciable  despite 
that  selfwardly  biased  abnormal  move  of  desire — " 

"I  notice  that  you  say  'present-day'  and  'abnor 
mal,'  '  interrupted  Ernest  Wynn.  and  lna/o 
Motora  continued: 

"The  two  are,  in  nature,  like  thai  \\ell  known 
old  Greek  problem  of  which  first,  the  lien  or  egg 
And  as  a  lover  of  life-giving  truth.  I  should  say,  the 
same  lack  of  co-ordination  in  the  make-up  of,  and 
the  consequent  departure  from,  the  'straight  mid 
dle  way'  by  the  present-day  humanity  caused  them 
both," — he  paused;  then,  parenthetically,  "in 
wardly  tending,  it  is  felt  in  the  one.  and  outwardly 
carried  out,  it  is  manifested  in  the  other — like  the 
face  and  hands,  they  are  connected  by  the  same 
nervous  system." 

"It  seems  to  me  that  your  analogy  is  not  per 
fect,"  replied  Knu-st  Wynn.  "The  lieu  and  the 
egg,  and  the  face  and  hands,  are  both  normal,  while 
you  have  yourself  .just  said  that  avarice  is  an 
abnormal  move  of  desire.  The  abnormal  and  the 
normal  ought  not  to  coordinate.  Inequity  not 
only  aggravates  abnormal  actions,  but  it  causes 
tli.-m  " 


ALONG  THE  ROAD  149 

1 '  How  then,  to  eliminate  the  cause  ? ' '  gaid  Inazo 
Motora,  quickly.  "Mederi  pro  morbum — meden 
agan !  that  is,  'to  heal  according  to  disease — every 
body,  not  too  much.'  That  wanted  spirit  of  co-or 
dination — proper  and  properly  directed  love — must 
needs  be  poured,  thru  and  thru,  into  this  everyday 
community." 

"Love  cannot  mix  oil  and  water,"  retorted  Er 
nest  Wynn.  "Elimination  of  the  cause,  is  what  is 
wanted." 

"As  for  the  modi  operandi,"  said  Inazo  Motora, 
continuing  his  soliloquy,  "one  shall  be  the  char 
acter  education,  and  eradication,  and  the  other  a 
radical  change  of  environment,  namely,  a  sweeping 
social  reorganization,  for  good,  of  which  this  dis 
covery  of  a  balanced  land  tenure  of  Mr.  Wynn 
could  be  a  practical  starting  point." 

"A  practical  starting  point — that's  it  exactly," 
cheerfully  assented  Ernest  Wynn.  "For  there  is 
no  point  so  good  to  start  from  as  the  bed  rock  foun 
dation.  Building  upon  it  will  undoubtedly  involve 
character  education ;  and  a  joyful  one  it  will  be, 
because  the  eradication  will  be  accomplished  by 
establishing  a  balanced  land  tenure." 

"I  believe  Mr.  Wynn  is  right,"  said  Mrs.  Fujita, 
earnestly,  "and  there  must  be  some  persons  among 
those  in  power  in  Japan  who  regret  such  a  fall  as 
the  triumph  of  commercialism  would  mean.  We  can 
appeal  to  them  to  help  start  the  turn  of  the  tide 
toward  the  real  welfare  of  the  people — the  whole 
people,  remember — from  this  point  of  a  balanced 
land  tenure." 


i:.n  THK   .sol/I,   oF   THK    \Vott  1.1  > 

"Mr.  Motora.  Japau  must  be  saved  from  tin-  fata! 
>  n-or  of  a  fall  into  the  commercial  whirlpool  thai 
lias  engulfed  the  British  Empire  and  the  I'nited 
States,"  began  Glen  Harding,  with  grave  earnest 
ness.  "The  white  race  is  today  everywhere  dom 
inated  by  the  spirit  of  commercialism — the  insane 
desire  to  get  something  for  nothing.  In  its  mad 
struggle  for  dollars;  for  pounds,  shillings  and  pence, 
all  genuine  morality  gives  way.  It  is  this  eraxe  f<u 
unearned  wealth  that  has  made  the  while  race  a 
scourge  to  all  other  peoples,  a  peril  and  a  curse 
wherever  the  white  man's  foot  has  trod.  It  is 
this  that  has  ruined  and  destroyed  millions  of  peo 
ple  in  India  and  China  thru  the  English  opium 
trath'c.  It  is  this  that  has,  in  a  single  century, 
devastated  the  western  continent  and  exterminated 
millions  ..I1  its  inhabitants,  people  and  animals  alike. 
And  for  what.'  To  pile  up  wealth  in  the  hands  of 
a  few  pel-sons — to  their  own  everlasting  degrada 
tion." 

"That  is  true,"  said  Ernest  Wynn,  quickly. 
"There  is  no  escape  from  the  natural  law  of  self- 
support  and  self-government  except  the  way  that 
leads  to  self-dcstriction." 

"Yet  the  white  race  seemed  so  powerful,  so  pros 
perous."  said  the  Japanese,  thoughtfully.  "They 
forced  themselves  upon  other  races  as  teachers,  and 
insisted  upon  tradal  relations." 

"White  people  are  too  prone  to  talk  and  act  as 
tho  they  could  teach  all  other  races  everything 
worth  knowing,"  answered  Glen  Harding.  The 


ALONG  THE  KOAD  151 

actual  fact  is  that  every  other  race  could  teach  the 
white  people  quite  as  much  of  desirable  knowledge 
as  it  can  learn  from  them." 

That  is,"  added  Mrs.  Fujita,  "if  we  put  all  races 
on  the  basis  of  friendliness  which  equal  freedom 
will  bring  about,  each  can  help  all  the  others  to  an 
astonishingly  rapid  advance  in  knowledge  and  the 
highest  culture." 

''Cannot  this  subject  be  brought  at  once  to 
the  attention  of  some  of  your  leading  statesmen  ? ' ' 
questioned  Ernest  Wynn,  turning  to  the  Japanese. 
"Would  they  investigate  it  seriously  and  help  us 
get  it  before  the  people  of  Japan!" 

"I  am  sure  there  are  some  who  will  give  serious 
attention  to  such  an  effort,"  responded  Inazo 
Motora,  convincingly. 

"There  is  one  thing  that  makes  me  very  hopeful 
for  your  country  in  this  crisis,  Mr.  Motora,"  Ernest 
Wynn  continued.  "Japan  has  shown  herself  capa 
ble  not  only  of  adopting  and  adapting  all  useful 
modern  inventions  and  discoveries,  but  of  the  far 
higher  ability  to  use  the  discriminative  power  of 
reason,  and  go  back  a  thousand  years  to  regain 
such  customs  and  methods  of  an  earlier  time  as 
make  for  her  greatest  expression  of  enlightenment 
today." 

"Oh,  Mr.  Motora,"  urged  Glen  Harding,  with 
earnest  emphasis,  "it  is  in  the  power  of  the  Jap 
anese  to  lead  the  nations  of  the  world  in  the 
establishment  of  a  balanced  land  tenure.  Let  your 
Emperor  do  this  and  the  name  of  Mutsuhito  of 
Japan  will  go  down  thru  all  the  ages  of  the  future 


i.vj  TIII-:  son,  <>r  TIII:  WOULD 

as  that  ot  <>ii"  i»t'  ilir  greatest  benefactors  hinnanily 
has  ever  known  or  ever  can  know." 

"But,  Glen,  Japan  is  only  a  small  country,  and 
I  don't  see  how  it  could  face  tin-  whole  world  in 
such  a  tremendous  change."  suggested  Mrs.  Pujita. 
doubtfully. 

"You  forget.  Helen."  wai  the  Miiiek  retort,  "that 
China  is  at  her  very  door,  and  the  Chinese  an- 
already  waking  up.  For  her  own  self-preservation 
China  will  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  Japan 
in  any  rational  movement." 

"But  it  will  take  a  long  time  for  the  Chinese  to 
change  their  ways."  objected  Mrs.  Pujita.  "It  has 
taken  Japan  fifty  years  to  change,  and  China  is  so 
much  larger  and  her  people  are  so  much  less  homo 
genous;  surely  it  will  take  ;\  mu--h  louder  time  to 
bring  about  any  improvements  there." 

"I  think  not,"  returned  Glen  Harding.  "With 
the  aid  of  .Japan,  the  enlightened  statesmen  of 
China  have  it  in  their  power  to  so  guide  the  millions 
in  their  country  as  to  bring  about  changes  in  five  or 
ten  years  that  will  astonish  the  world.  It  is  not 
necessary  that  the  people  should  understand  the 
whole  program  to  start  with.  It  is  only  needful 
that  a  few  public  spirited  leaders  should  OfcmpIWr 
hend  exactly  what  they  are  aiming  at  and  how  to 
get  there.  We  learn  by  doing,  and  the  Chinese  are 
adepts  at  imitation.  Let  their  leaders  start  them 
doing  the  acts  of  a  free  people  and  the  very  actions 
will  cultivate  their  intelligence  and  make  them  fit 
for  the  high---t  breoiUB.  We  do  not  teach  a  child 
to  walk  by  tying  it  in  a  high  chair  and  giving  it  a 


ALONG  THE  ROAD  153 

book  on  the  art  of  walking.  We  stand  it  on  its 
feet  and  hold  out  our  arms  for  it  to  come  to  us. 
Let  Japan  adopt  a  balanced  land  tenure  and  the 
statesmen  of  China  could  bring  the  four  hundred 
millions  of  Chinese  into  line  for  equal  freedom  with 
a  speed  and  smoothness  that  would  make  that  sec 
tion  of  China's  history  one  of  the  most  glorious 
marvels  of  all  the  ages." 

"Indeed  it  would,"  assented  her  friend.  "But, 
Glen,  people  will  be  apt  to  say  that  such  a  sugges 
tion  is  a  mere  Utopian  dream,  impossible  of  realiza 
tion." 

"That  will  be  their  mistake,"  was  the  prompt 
and  decisive  retort.  "The  Japanese  have  proved 
conclusively  that  such  a  change  is  a  thoroly  prac 
tical  possibility,  easily  within  the  power  of  the  gen 
eration  now  living.  As  for  the  Chinese,  a  nation 
whose  aristocracy  is  one  of  intellect  and  open  to 
all  its  people,  has — no  matter  what  the  outer 
appearance  may  be — the  seeds  of  a  great  awakening 
so  near  the  surface  that  it  needs  but  the  sunlight 
of  a  simple  truth,  the  knowledge  of  the  one  way 
out,  to  bring  them  forth  in  such  a  blossoming  as 
shall  amaze  the  world.  Japan  and  China  can  do  it 
if  they  but  learn  the  way  before  they,  too,  become 
intoxicated  with  the  fatal  draught  of  commercial 
ism  gone  mad  that  has  crazed  the  western  world 
today.  All  the  truly  enlightened  minds  of  the  white 
race  will  work  with  them — and  in  the  end  all  the 
nations  of  the  world  will  bless  the  enlightened 
rulers  and  statesmen  of  Japan  and  China  forever." 

"Your  rrovernment  list  (Mis  for  the  voice  of  public 


i.->»  THI-:  son,  OF  TIII-:  WORLD 

opinion.  .Mr.  .Motora."  put  in  Km. -si  \Vyiui.  "Would 
it  not  be  a  good  plan  to  spread  tin-  news  of  a  bal 
anced  land  tenure  thruout  Japan,  and  so,  quickly 
create  a  strong  public  opinion  in  its  favor?" 

"I  believe  your  Emperor  could  start  that  public 
•  •pinion  quicker  nnd  stronger  than  anyone  els-.' 
urged  Glen  Harding,  turning  glowing  eyes  upon  the 
man  beside  her.  "If  he  will  do  that  all  the  nations 
of  the  world  will  hold  him  in  blessing  and  honor  to 
the  end  of  earthly  time!  Surely  it  is  fitting  that 
the  representative  of  the  oldest  dynasty  of  earth's 
monarchs  should  prove  himself  great  enough  to  do 
this  thing." 

"It  is  a  wonderful  thing  you  people  are  suggest 
ing  for  my  country."  said  the  Japanese.  "At  least 
the  attention  of  the  Emperor  should  be  speedily 
called  to  this  great  truth  of  a  balanced  land  tenure 
as  the  foundation  for  completely  harmonious  human 
association." 

"We  will  all  try  our  best  to  gain  that  attention 
for  it,"  added  Mrs.  Fujita.  earnestly.  "In  itself,  it 
seems  such  a  plain  and  easy  thing  to  do — to  make 
the  oh  a  nire  -if  only  people  once  bring  their  minds 
to  boar  on  it." 

''When  1  think  how  simple  the  law  is,"  observed 
Ernest  Wynn,  "I  wonder  that  it  has  so  long  been 
hidden.  What  originally  caused  such  a  maladjust 
ment  of  human  association  is  another  question  I'd 
like  to  have  answered.'' 

"The  M-li'wardly  biased  abnormal  activities  •>! 
desire  caused — was  the  origin  of — an  unbalanced 
land  tenure."  replied  the  Japanese,  promptly 


ALONG  THE  ROAD  155 

"What  caused  the  abnormal  activities?" 

"The  misunderstanding  of  nature's  lessons,  Mr. 
Wynn." 

"Then  your  first  answer  fell  short  of  the  mark," 
commented  Ernest  Wynn,  "and  the  underlying 
cause  was  lack  of  correct  knowledge,  and  you  know 
that  knowledge  is,  as  Dove  said,  the  antidote  of 
error." 

"WTe  need  also  the  help  or  guidance  of  the  golden 
rule,"  said  Inazo  Motora,  smiling,  yet  persistent. 

"Many  a  man  has  offered  me  a  chew  of  tobacco 
in  that  spirit,"  replied  Ernest  Wrynn,  "yet  tobacco 
is  a  poison." 

"But  that  was  not  a  correct  interpretation  of  the 
rule.  The  rule  must  be  interpreted  in  harmony 
with  its  setting." 

"Then  it  is  not  sufficiently  axomatic  for  a  guide, 
Mr.  Motora,"  was  the  quick  response.  "The  axiom 
that  two  straight  lines  cannot  enclose  a  space  needs 
no  setting  to  support  it;  it  is  self-explanatory  and 
self-sufficient." 

"And  the  law  of  human  association  seems  to  me 
to  be  just  such  an  adequate  guide,"  Glen  Harding 
put  in. 

"I  see,"  admitted  Inazo  Motora.  "But,  Miss 
Harding,  what  did  you  mean,  a  little  while  ago, 
when  you  spoke  of  a  condition  where  every  one 
might  be  'looked  up  to'?  Only  a  few  can  hold 
exalted  places  at  any  one  time." 

Glen  Harding  smiled:  "That  all  depends  on 
what  we  are  looking  up  to !  When — as  it  is  today 
under  the  reign  of  property  in  privileges — money 


i.-.;  TIII:  son.  or  TIII-:  WOULD 


is  tlu-  measure  of  power  and  MtettB,  making  others 
look  up  to  its  possessor,  then  only  a  few  can  possi 

bly  he  in  the  coveted  positions,  for  it  takes  the  daih 
grind  and  hustle  of  all  the  rest  of  tin-  people  to 
produce  the  enormous  wealth  necessary  to  make  a 
multi-millionaire,  True  henetit  can  come  only 
where  conditions  are  equitable,  where  all  exchange 
is  of  clVort  for  eil'ort.  ;md  genuine  service  !o  human 
ity  will  he  tlie  measure  of  esteem.  Then  all  people 
•  •an  he  looked  up  to  without  injury  to  each  other. 
I'm-  talents  and  nerds  an-  as  diverse  as  the  varia 
bility  of  tastes.  Each  person  can  excel  in  some 
thing  and  yet  be  broadly  cultured,  hence,  capable 

of     the     just      appreciation       of       the       excellencies       of 

others.  The  highest  reward-  -highest  honor  —  pos 
sible  to  any  human  beings  is  the  full  appreciation  of 
their  equals. 

"That  is  a  goal  w<'ll  worth  striving  for."  said 
Ina/.o  Moh.ra.  "ami  I  long  with  you  to  have  it. 
P>ut  there  are  points  1  want  to  know.  How,  for 
one.  after  the  land  tenure  is  balanced,  will  people 
know  how  much  of  one  thing  contains  as  much  labor 
a^  .some  other  tiling.'" 

"The  medium  of  exchange  must  represent  ctVo-t. 
not  products."  Kniesl  \Vynn  answered;  "and  tin- 
unit  of  the  medium  must  represent  thr  unit  of 

effort/1 

"lint.   .Mr.   Wynn.  will   not   that   be  hard  to  fix?" 

"Not    more    so    than    any   other   units,"    was    the 

prompt  reply.     "We  measure  time  and  space,  weight 

and    (plant  it  \.    and    mechanical    power.      It    is   only 

necessary    to    specify    a    certain    kind    of    labor,    at    a 


ALONG   THE  ROAD  157 

certain  time,  under  certain  conditions — just  as  the 
unit  of  work  in  mechanics  is  fixed." 

Inazo  Motora  looked  thoughtfully  off  over  the 
green  hills  and  brown  fields  for  a  little  time  before 
he  spoke  again:  "I  am  inclined  to  look  at  every 
thing  from  the  mechanical — the  mathematical — 
point  of  view.  I  think  I  understand  what  you 
mean.  Yes,  I  see  it  now.  You  have  made  that  point 
clear  to  me." 

"I  am  so  glad,  Mr.  Motora," — Glen  Harding 's 
animated  voice  and  face  expressed  her  pleasure — 
"for  now  you  can  make  a  balanced  land  tenure  clear 
to  your  Emperor,  and  he  has  the  power  to  do  such 
great  good  to  the  world,"  she  ended,  fervently. 

"It  strikes  me,"  put  in  Mrs.  Fujita,  "that  in  the 
devotion  of  the  Japanese  people  to  their  Emperor, 
and  their  willingness  to  carry  out  his  expressed 
wishes,  we  have  the  key  to  the  unity  that  seems  to 
be  the  watchword  in  Japan." 

"It  explains,  too,"  added  Glen  Harding,  "why 
Japan  has  already  shown  such  mighty  results  from 
small  beginnings.  But  vastly  greater  work  can  yet 
be  done  in  your  country" — she  turned  her  earnest, 
hopeful  face  toward  the  Japanese — "if  only  we 
can  get  those  in  power  to  see  the  way." 

"We  can  try,  Miss  Harding,"  was  the  prompt 
reply,  and  perhaps  Inazo  Motora 's  emphasis  on  the 
"we"  was  unconscious. 

"We  will  all  help  you  in  any  way  that  we  can, 
Mr.  Motora,"  assured  Mrs.  Fujita. 

"Thank  you.  I  shall  count  on  you  as  a  valued 
aid  on  my  return  home,"  said  the  Japanese.  "In 


108  Tin:  son.  OF  TIN-:  W<»KU> 

tin-  meantime  1  hope  in  learn  more  about  plans  of 
work  along  this  line.  1  find  most  people  rather 
indifferent  when  1  attempt  to  discuss  the  subject  in 
a  serious  way — sociology,  I  mean.  Perhaps  I  can 
make  a  deeper  impression  with  a  balanced  laud 
tenure. 

"1  think  so/'  said  Krnest  \Vynn.  quickly,  "tho  I 
know  well  the  sort  id'  indinVivnn-  you  have  met. 
I  feel  certain  that  fundamental  truths,  persistently, 
enthusiastically,  and  systemat  ically  disseminated, 
in  clear,  precise  and  logical  form,  will  overcome 
that  indifference  and  rouse  the  sense  of  fairness, 
love  "1  freedom,  and  the  rational  faculties  of  the 
sail*-  adults  of  this  nation — indeed,  of  all  English 
speaking  North  America." 

"You  will  have  to  include  .Japan  in  that  view. 
for  it  is  now  English  speaking;  but  I  should  prefer 
to  say  'of  all  the  enlightened  eojiimuuity  of  human 
beings'."  eorreeted  Ina/o  Motora.  "Have  yon  any 
thing  more  written  <»ut  about  this  discovery  of 
yours,  .Mr.  Wynn  ?  Anything  iu  a  shape  that  I 
could  study  and  make  sure  that  I  thoroly  grasp  the 
meaning  of  a  balanced  land  tenure?" 

"Yes,"  and  Krnest  Wynn  put  a  hand  into  his 
l>reast  poeket  and  brought  it  out  full.  "Here  are 
several  articles,  which  I  think  cover  the  essential 
points.  I  will  be  glad  to  have  you  subject  them  to 
the  test  of  the  closest  scrutiny  and  the  severest 
criticism.  They  must  be  strong  all  thru  or  they 
are  no  good." 

"We  must  go  ou  soon  if  we  are  to  have  plenty 
..!'  time  at  the  other  places  I  wish  to  show  you," 


ALONG  THE  ROAD  159 

Glen  Harding  remarked,  as  she  picked  up  a  paper 
plate  tilled  with  crumbs  and  scraps  from  the  lunch 
and  fastened  it  in  a.. crotch  among  the  branches  of 
a  tree.  "The  birds  will  find  it  and  have  a  little 
feast/'  she  explained. 

"It  is  a  beautiful  thought,  and  I  could  wish  to 
see  your  bird  guests/'  said  the  Japanese.  "Out  of 
doors  is  your  real  home,  Miss  Harding." 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  simply.  "I  love  the  air 
and  sky  and  mountains — the  whole  world  of  real 
nature." 

"I'm  quite  sure,  that  one  of  the  first  results  of 
equal  freedom  in  the  use  of  the  earth,"  observed 
Ernest  Wynn,  now  on  a  front  seat  of  the  auto,  "will 
be  a  rapid  emptying  of  the  cities  into  the  country. 
Even  now  we  see  the  desire  for  real  homes  breaking 
out  everywhere  in  the  midst  of  the  rush  and  roar 
and  crowding  of  modern  city  life." 

"The  apartment  house  would  be  the  first  to  go," 
added  Gleii  Harding.  "It  is  so  utterly  artificial 
that  I  am  sure  no  normal  person  would — if  really 
free  to  choose — elect  to  live  in  such  a  house,  where 
people  are  packed,  tier  on  tier,  like  sardines  in  a 
box!" 

"I  believe  you  are  right,  Glen,"  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Fujita.  "Even  a  gilded  box  is  but  a  box,  after  all; 
and  there  are  lots  of  things  people  now  imagine 
they  like  to  do  that  they  could  not  even  dream  of 
if  perfectly  free  and  able  to  follow  their  true  incli 
nations — or  instincts." 


CHAPTER  10. 


TKKMONT  AND  WVXN. 

Tin-  dav  after  tin-  Hollywood  trip,  Krnest  \V\nn 
pul  in  a  long  forenoon  hunting  up  and  trying — 
with  more  or  less  success  to  argue  into  sonic 
semblance  of  live  interest  in  the  land  question,  a 
n umber  of  men  whose  names  were  on  his  now  nearly 
finished  list.  He  felt  that  he  deserved  a  reward  and 
decided  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  in  a  eall 
at  Arroyo  Vista.  Perhaps  lie  could  answer  some  of 
.Mrs.  Fujita's  questions. 

He  turned  into  Colorado  Street  just  as  a  west 
bound  Orange  fJrovc  car  came  in  sight.  H<1  boarded 
it  and.  when  the  car  stopped  at  Raymond  Avenue, 
was  a  little  surprised  and  considerably  interested  to 
see  Arthur  Tremont  enter,  for  he  surmised  at  once 
that  they  were  both  bound  for  the  same  place.  The 
car  chanced  to  be  rather  full,  and  in  looking  about 
for  a  seat  Arthur  Tremont  saw  Krnest  Wynn  sitting 
alone,  and  immediately  went  toward  him,  with  his 
usual  friendly  smile  and  frank  cordiality  of  bear 
ing.  Krnext  Wynn  greeted  him  heartily  and  men 
tioned  his  recent  visit  to  (Irani  Norwood,  and  the 
loan  of  the  book. 

Arthur  Tremont  looked  pleased.  "Norwood  was 
one  of  my  first  pupils  out  here,  and  a  most  ardent 
one.  As  for  the  book,  I  consider  it  the  best  work  I 
have-  done,  so  far.  Have  yon  looked  into  it?" 


TftKMONT  AND  WYNN  101 

"Yes,  but  not  at  all  thoroly  as  yet.  I've  been 
too  much  on  the  go.  Today  I've  been  on  the  keen 
jump  in  the  interests  of  our  meeting.  Dennison 
phoned  me  this  morning  that  Miss  Harding  wants 
to  have  our  meeting  of  single  taxers — and  a  few 
others — while  her  friend,  Mrs.  Fujita,  is  here,  so  I 
want  to  get  thru  the  list  of  people  I'm  looking  up 
for  it.  But  I  will  read  your  book  carefully  the  first 
chance  I  have.  I  want  to  understand  that  subject 
in  its  bearing  on  the  land  question." 

"I  did  not  say  anything  about  that  in  my  book. 
I  see  things  from  a  different  viewpoint  from  yours, 
and  some  of  the  matter  in  my  book  may  'jar'  upon 
you,  but  then  you  will  understand  that  it  is  merely 
a  matter  of  viewpoint  and  perspective." 

Ernest  Wynn  laughed.  ''You  rouse  my  curiosity. 
What  can  you  have  written  that  you  think  would 
'jar'  on  one  whose  only  object  is  to  learn  the  truth 
and  apply  it?" 

"I  only  thought,"  said  Arthur  Tremont,  as  they 
left  the  car  and  turned  toward  Grand  Avenue, 
"that  my  lack  of  careful  treatment  of  matters 
economic  would  probably  'jar'  one  like  yourself  to 
whom  these  things  mean  so  much,  by  reason  of  the 
time,  careful  study  and  hard  work  you  have  put 
into  them." 

"Really,  Mr.  Tremont,  are  you  not  putting  the  cart 
before  the  horse?  I  put  time  and  hard  work  into 
the  study  of  the  land  question  because  it  is  obviously 
the  subject  that  should  be  of  most  vital  concern  to 
every  one  of  us — until  it  is  settled.  Our  only  hope 
of  ever  securing  true  freedom  lies  in  securing,  to 


!<;•_'  TIM-  son.  <>r  TIII:  \V«»RLD 

;ill  persons,  eojial  freedom  in  the  use  of  the  earth, 
and  my  lift-  is  pledged  to  that  work  until  freedom 
is  won." 

Arthur  Tremont  half  turned  and  regarded 
his  companion  earnestly  hefoiv  he  said:  "Mr. 
\Vynn.  yon  arc  sincere.  I  can  see  that  ;  hut  to 
In-  SUM-CIV  in  our  present  environment  means  to  pa\ 
a  price." 

"I  know  that  well  enough."  was  the  prompt 
reply,  "and  to  he  insincere  also  means  to  pay  a 
price.  Hut  surely  you  will  admit  that  the  land 
<|iiestion  is  of  paramount  importance?  Of  course 
you  will  he  on  hand  at  the  meetiu«r  Dennison  is  got- 
tin«r  up?'J 

'*!  hardly  think  1  can  take  time  for  that.  Yon 
see  I  am  so  very  husy  just  now.  and  have  a  deal  of 
writing  to  d<>." 

"I'.'-ttcr  make  time  for  it."  persisted  Krnoi 
\Vynn.  "Yon  must  have  discussed  the  snhject  with 
Mi-s  HardiiiLT.  an«l  I  would  like  to  hear  what  view 
you  take  of  it." 

Arthur  Tremout  smiled.     "You  are  mistaken.  Mi 
NYyiin.  in  thinking  I   have  talked   up  the  land   «pies 
titin    with    Miss    IIardin«r.      1    have    not    entered    into 
that    line  of  thought    at    all   with  her." 

"Hut  why  not.'  The  ipiestiou  is  one  of  vital 
intciv.st.  and  Miss  Harding  is  hy  far  the  best  posted 
woman  and  the  rlean-st  thinker  on  that  line  I  have 


«-vcr   known.' 


•  That  is  just  it."  returned  Arthur  Tremont. 
smilinjr.  hut  tirm.  "I  shall  not  <jo  into  tliat  snhject. 
Mr.  \Yynn.  f<u-  disciissinir  economic  or  sociological 


TREMONT  AND  WYNN  163 

matters  with  either  yourself  or  Miss  Harding  is  like 
fooling  with  a  loaded  gun,  or  a  buzz-saw,  and  in  the 
words  of  the  street,  'excuse  me'." 

Ernest  Wynn  turned  and  stared  at  his  companion 
in  astonishment,  and  then  came  a  sudden  lightening 
at  his  heart  as  the  thought  flashed  thru  his  mind 
of  the  utter  impossibility  of  Glen  Harding  marry 
ing  a  man  who  actually  refused  to  discuss  sociology. 
How  could  such  a  man  even  dream  of  winning  her? 
Tho  Ernest  Wynn  felt  that  this  attitude  put  Arthur 
Tremont  out  of  the  count  as  a  rival,  he  knew  such 
a  thought  could  give  him  no  encouragement  in  re 
gard  to  Inazo  M.otora.  He  could  not  deny  that  the 
Japanese  was  as  willing  and  eager  a  student  of 
sociology  as  he  was  himself — that  much  the  Holly 
wood  trip  had  made  plain. 

Arthur  Tremont  noticed  his  companion's  sur 
prise,  and  hastened  to  add:  "I  freely  admit  that 
the  land  question  may  be  important,  but  there  are 
other  subjects  in  which  Miss  Harding  is  interested 
and  about  which  I  find  it  a  great  pleasure  to  talk 
with  her.  She  is  a  remarkable  woman,  Mr.  Wynn." 

"I  entirely  agree  with  you  on  that,"  came  the 
prompt  acquiescence,  and  the  two  men  turned  in 
at  the  entrance  of  Arroyo  Vista. 

They  were  greeted  by  a  chorus  of  merry  shouts: 
4 'See  our  ellies!  See  our  ellies!"  and  the  three 
Dennison  children,  grouped  on  the  lawn,  pointed 
with  eager  little  hands  at  a  pyramid  formed  of  three 
rather  ungainly  gray  cotton  flannel  elephants,  which, 
like  their  owners,  were  of  graded  sizes.  Their  gay 
rod  blankets,  edged  with  gold  embroidery,  made  a 


Hi!  THK   SOU,   «)F  TH1-:    WOHLD 

pr»Mt\  lnt  of  color  on  tlit'ir  unwieldy  gray  bodies 
while  their  bright  black  shoe-button  eyes  stared  with 
unwinking  serenity  at  the  approaching  visitors. 

The  two  men  stopped  a  moment,  looking  at  the 
children,  when  baby  ('ami  suddenly  upset  the  pyra 
mid  by  sei/.ing  the  topmost  elephant  by  its  tail  and 
pulling  it  off,  to  immediately  stumble  and  fall  over 
the  unwieldy  creature.  In  a  moment  all  three  chil 
dren  were  dragging  and  tumbling  and  throwing  the 
elephants  about  on  the  soft  Bermuda  grass. 

"How  happy  they  are.  ;md  they  have  such  a  fin-- 
playground,"  said  Arthur  Tremont,  looking  about 
the  pleasant  garden. 

"Yes,"  returned  Ernest  \Vynn,  "and  all  children 
"iiirht,  at  this  moment,  to  be  as  happy  and  well  off 
as  these  are.  Here.  Kay,"  he  called,  as  he  dexter- 
"iisly  caught  a  flying  elephant,  "come  and  get  your 
cllie  and  tell  us  where  to  find  your  Auntie  Glen." 

"Auntie  Glen  is  over  there  behind  the  rose 
bushes.  Fay  didn't  see  her  come  out,"  said  Merwyn. 
cnming  up,  and  it  is  my  ellio  you  have." 

"Thank  you,"  Krnesi  \Vynn  resigned  the  elephant 
and  turned  across  tin-  lawn.  Arthur  Tremont  was 
already  disappearing  around  the  bushes. 

"You  see  I'm  very  busy  this  afternoon,"  Glen 
Harding  was  saying  as  the  second  visitor  appeared. 
"Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Wynn,  I  am  glad  to  see  you. 
My  friend  will  soon  be  out — oh,  there  she  is  now," 
and  Arthur  Tremont,  following  her  glance  toward 
the  house,  looked  with  considerable  interest  and 
s<>me  curiosity  at  his  countrywoman  who  had  mar- 
Hod  a  Japanese.  ;md  whoso  oxample  might  have 


TREMONT  AND   WYXX  165 

weight  with  her  old  school  friend.  She  was  leading 
a  remarkably  pretty  child,  about  baby  Carol's  age, 
whose  dark  eyes  and  black  hair  must  have  come 
from  its  father,  a£  the  mother  had  light  brown  hair 
and  blue  eyes.  She  left  the  child  with  the  little 
group  on  the  lawn  and  approached  the  rose  corner, 
to  be  greeted  with : — 

" Helen,  here  is  another  of  our  friends;  Mr.  Tre- 
mont,  Mrs.  Fujita." 

"A  decidedly  pretty  little  woman,"  thought 
Arthur  Tremont,  while,  "She  is  bright  and  sensible, 
and  sure  to  be  a  power  in  the  Japan  propaganda," 
crossed  Ernest  Wynn's  mind  as  Helen  Osmond 
Fujita  gave  the  two  guests  a  pleasant  greeting. 

"Now,  you  people  of  leisure,"  observed  Glen 
Harding,  "please  sit  there" — she  indicated  sub 
stantial  seats  in  the  rose-walled,  bloom  covered 
corner — "and  entertain  each  other  a  little  while 
till  I  finish  my  work.  It  is  tomorrow's  work,"  she 
added,  in  explanation  to  the  guests,  "but  Mrs. 
Fujita  and  I  are  going  off  early  in  the  morning 
for  the  day,  and  the  garden  must  be  all  in  order 
for  my  sister's  party  on  Monday,  so  I  want  to 
finish  this  bit  of  work  today.  T  know  you  will 
excuse  me." 

"Certainly,"  said  Arthur  Tremont,  concealing 
the  disappointment  he  felt.  It  had'  occurred  to  him 
that  he  could  talk  to  Glen  Harding  while  Mrs. 
Fujita  and  Ernest  Wynn  discussed  sociology  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Japanese.  However,  he  must 
wait,  so  he  seated  himself  near  Mrs.  Fujita  and  she 
irnmefliatolv  started  to  talk  with  him  about  his  new 


n;r,  TIN-:  s><>i'L  <>r  I'm;  \\OKLD 

honk,     into     which,     she     said,     she     had     just     been 

dipping. 

Krnest  \Yynii  was  still  standing,  looking  about, 
and  now  said:  "What  have  you  to  do.  Miss  Hard 
in*:.'  <)h.  I  see.  You  are  clearing  up  and  cultivat 
ing  along  the  hedge  and  around  these  hushes.  Let 
me  take  the  hoi-  and  you  g«»  on  with  the  rake,  then 
you  will  he  thru  in  half  the  time  and  we  ran  all  sit 
down  comfortably." 

(Jlen  Harding  gave  him  a  (puck  side  glance,  then 
she  smiled.  "  Very  well,  here's  the  hoe;  but  take 
off  your  coat  first.  It  is  warm  work  for  such  an 

afternoon.!1 

The  brisk  wielding  of  hoe  and  rake  did  not  pre 
vent  their  holders  eatehing  snatches  of  the  talk 
Lroing  oji  near  them. 

"They  appear  to  be  discussing  Tremont  's  new 
book,"  remarked  Ernest  WVMM,  when  he  chanced 
to  be  near  the  gardener  at  the  far  end  of  the  rose 
patch.  ''Norwood  loaned  me  a  copy  and  I  want 
to  read  it  as  soon  as  1  can  make  time.  Do  you 
think  it  good?" 

"Well,  in  some  ways  it  is."  she  replied,  thought 
fully,  "lint  it  is  self-contradictory.  For  instanee. 
the  direct  teaching  is  that  we  should  he  afraid  of 
nothing  but  fear;  yet  the  whole  hook  appears  to  be 
based  on  fear — the  fear  that  someone  will  somehow 
lake  advantage  of  us.  Kaeh  must  always  be  on 
L'liard  against  the  will  of  others,  yet  each  must 
always  try  to  influence,  or  take  advantage  of,  th"s,- 
others.  The  hook  is  a  product  of  present  conditions 
and  fits  tin-in.  It  seemi  to  me  that  the  wiser  tench 


TREMONT  AND  WYNN  167 

ing  is  the  positive  plan  of  being  always  on  the 
lookout  for  something  better,  for  some  new  and 
more  forcible  way  of  presenting  things — but  really, 
that  throws  one  back  on  the  fact  that  rules  belong 
ing  to  a  state  of  equity  cannot  be  made  to  work 
out  properly  in  an  inequitable  environment." 

"That  is  true,"  assented  Ernest  Wynn,  "yet  the 
positive  attitude  you  describe  is  the  only  one  that 
can  be  taken  by  the  sincere  seeker  for  truth,  and 
such  an  one  cannot  help  being  fearless." 

"I  think  I  understand  you,"  she  spoke,  over  her 
shoulder,  as  their  wrork  separated  them  again. 
"Just  listen,  Mr.  Wynn,"  she  said,  smilingly,  a  few 
moments  later,  as  they  neared  the  others.  "Mrs. 
Fujit;i  is  going  for  Mr.  Tremont  about  a  point  that 
stirred  her  up  a  good  deal." 

"I  don't  at  all  like  the  tone  you  take,  Mr.  Tre 
mont,  when  speaking  of  women  who  are  not  com 
pelled  to  work  for  a  living,"  Mrs.  Fujita  was  say 
ing  gravely.  "You  think  most  of  us  are  parasites 
and  say  we  are  to  blame  for  the  prevailing  worship 
of  the  Almighty  Dollar.  Surely  you  know  that 
laws  made  by  men  are  responsible  for  putting 
women  into  the  abnormal  social  and  economic  posi 
tion  the  majority  of  them  still  occupy  today,  in  spite 
of  their  efforts  toward  more  just  relations  in  the 
industrial  world?  Do  you  think  it  fair  for  men  to 
make  laws  that  compel  married  women  to  depend, 
financially,  wholly  upon  their  husbands,  and  then 
call  those  women  parasites?" 

"Why,  no,  certainly  not,"  was  the  smiling  reply. 
"But  you  are  probably  aware  that  many  of  those 


-1TY 


]•;•>  -nil-:  son.  or  THI-:  wmii.n 

very  \\ealthy  women,  who  refuse  to  even  make 
their  own  beds  or  sweep  a  room,  look  down  on  their 
hushands  as  'mere  money-making  machines.'  It  is 
such  women  whom  I  regard  as  parasites." 

"Then  you  think  that  all  women  ou^ht  to  cam 
their  own  living  the  same  as  men?" 

"No.  indeed!"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "I  do  not 
think  that  all  women  should  earn  their  living  the 
same  as  men." 

"Do  yon  reali/e   what   you   are   saying,    Air.   Tn- 
mont?"  Glen  Harding   paused    in   her   work    to   ask 
the   question,    and    Krm-st    Wynn    caught    the    indig 
nant  flash   in  her   eyes.      Hut  tlie   look   was  lost    on 
Arthur  Tremont,   from    whom   a    blooming  spray   of 
Gold  of  Ophir  roses  hid  the  gardener's  face  as  sin- 
added:    "Any  sane  adult  who  is  financially  depend 
ent   on  another  is  to  that  extent,  at  least,  a  slave 
or  a  pauper.     You  would  keep  women   in  that   posi 
tion!" 

Arthur  Tremont   felt   that  he  had  somehow   made 
a  bad  break.  l»nt   his  smiling  calm  was  undisturbed 
as   he   pushed   the   branch   aside  to  see  the   speaker. 
How    line    and    earnest    she    looked    in    her    indigna 
tion.    "Of  course  I  do  not  want  women  to  be  slaves, 
Miss  Harding.     1  do  think  that  all.  men  and  women 
should    take    a    part    in    the   world's   work,    and    not 
be  parasites  any  more  than  they  can  help.     I  sup 
pose,  tho,  that  all  of  us  are  more  or  less  parasites, 
for  that  matter." 

"If  we  are" — Mrs.  Fujita  took  up  the  discussion 
again — "it  is  certainly  evid"nee  that  there  is  some 
thing  radically  wronir  which  concerns  all  of  us.  and 


TBEMONT  AND  WYNN  169 

which  must  be  righted  before  any  of  us  can  get  into 
a  wholly  normal  condition. " 

"T  think,"  returned  Arthur  Tremont,  "that 
most  of  us  are  too  intent  on  money  getting.  I 
know  I  must  often  seem  to  be,  and  yet  I  do  not  care 
a  snap  for  dollars  except  as  a  means  of  -expression 
— or  rather,  as  a  means  of  overcoming  obstacles  to 
free  expression  and  life.  I  enjoy  books,  music,  and 
other  things  and  I  require  money  to  secure  them." 

Ernest  Wynn  glanced  at  Glen  Harding  to  see  if 
she  had  heard.  She  was  raking  industriously,  with 
her  head  bent  over  her  work,  but  her  face  showed 
considerable  amusement,  which  broke  into  a  smile 
as  she  caught  his  look. 

Their  faces  were  turned  from  Arthur  Tremont. 
but  Mrs.  Fujita  had  seen  the  exchange  of  glances 
and  went  on  wickedly,  tho  her  tone  was  quite 
serious :  "I  see,  Mr.  Tremont,  but,  really,  can  you 
tell  me  of  any  sane  person  who  cares  a  straw  for 
money  in  itself?" 

"Why,  lots  of— well,  I  had  not  thought  of  the 
matter  in  that  light.  What  are  we  all  scrambling 
and  pushing  and  crushing  each  other  for  in  the 
effort  to  get  money,  if  none  of  us  care  anything 
for  it?" 

"You  will  have  to  discuss  the  land  question,  Tre 
mont,  if  you  want  a  serious  answer  to  that,"  put 
in  Ernest  Wynn,  smilingly. 

"That  seems  hardly  necessary,"  was  the  quick 
retort.  "Don't  you  want  money  as  much  as  I  do, 
Mr.  Wynn?" 

"Very    likely,"    was    the    prompt    answer,    "and 


i:n  Tin:  BOUL  MI-'  TIM-:  \v<>i;u> 

pmhahh  more  tliiin  yon  do  at  least,  more  of  it  ' 
You  My  you  want  money  to  secure  boo ks  and  music 
and  other  pleasant  things  of  lit'*'.  I  want  money- 
lots  of  it — to  print  papers  and  1 ks  which  will 

proclaim  the  way  to  secure  c.pial  freedom  in  the 
use  of  the  <-arlh  -equal  opport  unit  ies  here  and  now. 
When  we  can  do  that  it  will  he  only  a  few  yfeftTfl 
more  till  ALL  of  us  can  have  all  the  honks  and 
music,  and  as  nnich  free  out  door  life,  as  we  want 
and  all  the  things  which  make  for  rational  living 
in  a  fair  world." 

"Any  one  who  chooses  to  do  the  necessary  work 
ean  get  all  those  things  without  waiting  for  every 
body  to  join  in.  Mr.  \Vynn.  -lust  consider  the  fact 
that  now,  for  the  first  time  in  history,  mental  mairic 
is  being  used  to  advam-c  ei.mmercial  inteiv^iv 
Here  in  the  United  States  we  teach  it  in  a  way 
that  can  be  utili/ed  in  the  making  of  dollars." 
Arthur  Tremont  finished,  in  a  slightly  triumphant 
tone. 

Glen  Ilardinu  paused  a  moment  in  her  work  |.» 
throw  in  a  word:  "Did  it  never  occur  to  you.  Mr. 
Tremont.  that,  in  practice,  that  means  trying  to 
use  the  power  of  suggestion  to  wring  tribute  from 
our  fellow  beings- -to  get  something  for  nothing?" 

"AVhy.  Miss  Harding,  you  are  surely  not  in  earn- 
.•vi  :"  and  there  was  a  «|iiiet  assurance  in  Arthur 
Tremont 's  pleasant  voice  as  he  went  on:  "You 
understand  that  we  can  secure  anything  we  wish 
if  the  desire  for  it  is  strong  enough  to  become  a 
moving  force--thus  attracting  the  desired  object 
to  us.  In  the  commercial  world  this  works  out  in 


TKEMONT  AND  WYNN  171 

terms  of  dollars  and  cents,  and  we  are  able,  thru 
the  .use  of  this  power,  to  make  money  faster  or  in 
larger  amounts  than  we  otherwise  could." 

Glen  Harding 's  reply  came  from  behind  a  rose 
bush  and  there  was  a  noticeable  increase  of  -vigor 
in  the  movement  of  her  rake  before  she  spoke : 
"  Certainly,  but  that  does  not  alter  the  fact  that 
the  money  so  obtained  is  largely  tribute." 

"I  think  Ave  all  vaguely  feel,  even  if  we  do  not 
positively  say,"  added  Mrs.  Fujita,  "that  mere 
monej'-making  is  a  low  aim  to  set  before  a  young 
person  as  an  object  in  life.,  But  why  is  it?" 

"It  seems  so,  at  first  glance,  I  admit,"  said 
Arthur  Tremont,  "but  we  ought  to  encourage  all 
young  persons  to  try  to  achieve  success.  Look 
around  and  you  will  see  that  most  of  the  men  who 
have  'arrived'  today  can  control  other  men — -and 
the  few  exceptions,  such  as  prominent  scientists  or 
literary  men,  artists  and  inventors,,  only  prove  the 
rule.  In  their  case  some  practical  man  gets  the 
lion's  share  of  the  financial  returns.  This  being 
true,  I  feel  justified  in  teaching  that  real  success  is 
the  securing  of  financial  rewards,  the  more  dollars 
a  person  can  get.  the  more  successful  he  is." 

"If  that  is  the  fact  today,  Mr.  Tremont,"  said 
Mrs.  Fujita,  "don't  you  see  that  it  must  necessarily 
be  one  of  the  results  of  the  injustice  of  property  in 
privileges?" 

"The  fundamental  error  in  your  statement,  Mr. 
Tremont,"  Ernest  Wynn  looked  around  a  nearby 
bush  to  say,  "lies  in  the  assumption  that  present 
human  association  and  actions  are  normal — natural 


i TL-  nil-:  SOUL  OP  TIM-:  \YOKLI > 

— and  thru  you  assume  that  what  some  get  others 
must  lose.  'The  lion's  share'  is  not  only  the  largest 
portion,  but  jihvays  obtained  by  the  sheer  force  of 
appropriation — not  by  production." 

"Oh,  I  grant  that  inventors,  authors  and  scien 
tists  might  get  a  certain  benefit  out  of  studying 
how  to  control  their  fellow  beings.  But,  after  all. 
it  is  the  'man  among  men'  who  gets  the  real  thing — 
for  he  not  only  achieves  success,  but  that  manifesta- 
tion  of  success  in  material  form — money." 

"Hut,  Mr.  Tremont,  you  really  cannot  believe — 
.Mrs.   Fujita  started  to  speak,   but  stopped   as  the 
rapid  movement  of  the  hoe  coming  towards  them 
attracted  her  attention. 

"Mr.  Tremont,  it's  too  brambly  here  to  look  out 
at  you."  The  hoe  had  stopped  a  moment  and 
rested  below  a  particularly  thorny  bush.  "But  you 
don't  seem  to  perceive  that  the  failure  of  those 
people  ---scientists,  inventors,  authors,  and  artists. 
to  reap  the  financial  rewards  of  their  work  is  not 
because  of  any  inherent  fault  of  theirs,  but  bccaus,- 
of  the  inequitable  basis  upon  which  human  asso 
ciation  now  rests;  by  moans  of  which  some  persons 
have  the  power  to  appropriate  the  results  of  others' 
labor.  If  human  association  was  on  the  normal 
basis  of  equal  freedom,  those  industrious  persons 
would  reap  their  full  reward  in  equivalence  of 
exchange  with  other  persons,  without  the  necessity 
of  studying  methods  of  offensive  and  defensive  war 
fare;  for  such  warfare  is  possible  only  where 
human  legislation  has  interfered  with  the  equality 
of  human  freedom." 


TKEMONT  AND  WYNN  173 

"We  have  to  take  things  as  they  are,  Mr.  Wynn," 
returned  Arthur  Tremont,  raising  his  voice  slightly 
as  the  hoe  moved  briskly  away,  appearing  and  dis 
appearing  around  the  bushes  that  hid  its  moving 
power  from  the  occupants  of  the  seats. 

"I  hear  you  all  right.  Just  go  ahead,  Mr.  Tre 
mont,"  came  a  voice,  and  the  man,  leaning  back 
comfortably  on  the  broad  bench,  resumed: — 

"If  we  only  concenter  on  some  object  and  hold 
the  thought  firmly  enough  and  pull  hard  enough — 
really  hustle  for  it,  you  know — we  are  certain  to 
do  our  best  work  in  that  line,  and  then  we  are 
sure  to  find  a  market  for  our  services,  and  get  the 
money  reward — the  one  thing  worth  striving  for.." 

"Yet  I  know  a  lot  of  cases  in  which  it  has  not 
worked  out  that  way,"  said  Mrs.  Fujita. 

"So  do  I,"  came  the  voice  of  Glen  Harding,  as 
she  appeared  at  the  end  of  the  row,  raking  rapidly 
toward  them. 

"Me,  too,"  laughed  Ernest  Wynn,  as  he  came 
around  the  last  bush  and  caught  a  glimpse  of 
Arthur  Tremont 's  face.  Then  his  tone  and  expres 
sion  changed  to  a  grave  earnestness  as  he  con 
tinued:  "It  is  not  the  best  work  that  is  rewarded 
by  employers  in  these  days,  but  only  such  as  will 
bring  the  employers  the  largest  financial  returns. 
Often  it  is  the  worst  work.  If  what  you  just  stated 
about  concentering  was  true,  then  the  concentering 
scientists,  artists,  and  so  on,  would  reap  the  finan 
cial  returns  of  their  labor — that  now  goes  to  others. 
The  difference  between  them  and  the  ones  who  get 
their  financial  rewards  is  tluit  thev  concentrate  on 


THE  SOUL  <>r  TIM:  \v<»i;u> 

something  useful,  while  the  others  concen 
trate  on  plans  for  getting  away  from  them  the 
pecuniary  results  of  their  doings.  It  is  not  hard 
pnllin.LT.  nor  hustling,  nor  'concentering',  that 
.brings  financial  success  under  present  conditions. 
Imt  the  power  of  appropriation — the  tribute  com 
pelling  power- -which  resides  in  property  in  priv 
ileges.'1 

Arthur  Tremont  smiled  pleasantly  as  he  glanced 
nj)  at  the  animated  face  near  the  top  of  the  hoc 
handle.  "You  are  thinking  of  the  individual,  Mr. 
\Vynn.  and  perhaps  yon  don't  reali/.e  how  the  one 
ness  of  all  is  hound  up  with  all  my  teachings.  No 
one  can  get  away  from  his  oneness  with  all — it  is 
at  the  basis,  the  heart,  of  all  esoteric  teaching. 
This  thought  helps  us  to  understand  tin-  coming 
brotherhood  of  man  and  how  we  can  at  last  use  the 
occult  powers,  latent  in  all  persons,  in  a  way  to 
command  financial  success — true  success.  If  any 
worker  refuses  to  accept  the  means  of  'financial 
salvation*  now  open  to  him  thru  such  teachings,  it 
is  his  own  fault  if  he  starves.  Anyone  who  is  too 
la/y  to  study  the  way  to  be  saved  ought  to  be— 
something  else.  It  serves  him  exactly  right!" 

Mr.  Tremonl  IV  There  was  a  flush  on  Mrs. 
Kn.jita's  face  as  she  turned  suddenly  toward  him. 
"Do  \oii  reali/.e  thai  among  the  \\orkers  you  con 
demn  in  that  wholesale  way  as  'la/y'  arc  little 
children?  Hither  your  remark  is  meaningless  or  it 
must  include  ALL  the  workers;  all  the  three-year 
old  children  in  sweat  shops;  all  the  little  ones  from 
five  to  icn  year*  old  in  cotton  factories;  all  the 


TREMONT  AND  WYNN  175 

young  life  in  the  coal  breakers.  Do  you  realize 
this?  Or  what  do  you  mean?" 

The  quiet  smile  showed  again.  "Of  course  I 
don't  believe  that  children  should  work — they 
ought  to  be  properly  educated." 

"Come  up  here,  Mr.  Wynn,"  Glen  Harding  said 
leaning  her  rake  against  the  end  of  a  seat.  "Let 
us  rest  a  bit  and  then  we  can  soon  finish,  there  is 
only  that  space  across  the  end  of  the  plot  and  along 
the  outer  hedge." 

Ernest  Wynn  appeared  and  obediently  sat  down 
near  her,  facing  Arthur  Trernont,  to  whom  he  at 
once  addressed  himself:  "I  heard  what  you  said, 
Mr.  Tremont,  and  it  strikes  me  that,  it  is  very  ir 
rational  for  teachers  of  the  'oneness  of  all'  and 
'the  brotherhood  of  man'  to  assume  that  the  pres 
ent  predatory  relation  of  persons  to  each  other  is 
natural,  and  waste  time  and  energy  in  framing 
instructions  for  the  few  to  follow — for  I  noticed 
all  thru  your  book  that  while  saying  the  way  was 
open  to  all,  you  also  said  we  could  rely  on  very 
few  having  seen  it  and  learned  to  take  advantage 
of  us — in  order  to  enrich  themselves  at  the  expense 
of  the  many.  Such  sentiments  as  are  involved  in 
your  statement,  that  all  who  starve  or  suffer  de 
serve  to  do  so,  are  utterly  at  variance  with  every 
true  conception  of  human  unity  and  harmony.  The 
more  persons  train  themselves  for  taking  advan 
tage,  and  guarding  against  being  taken  advantage 
of,  the  less  fitted  will  they  be  for  taking  part  in 
such  harmonious  association  with  their  fellows  as 
is  implied  in  the  word  'oneness.'  Before  there  can 


i;.;  THK  BOUL  "1    THE  \V<>KU> 

be     harmony     there     must     In-     ;in     eliminat  i«»n     of 

advantage*.'1 

"Evidently  we  do  not  look  at  these  things  from 
the  same  viewpoint.  Mr.  Wynn."  Arthur  Tmnoiit 
blandly  observed. 

Glen  Harding  rose  suddenly  and  turned  away   to 
resume    her   work,    with    an    amount    of   energy    that 
xeemed    hardly   called  for  by  the  condition   of   the 
ground.     Ernest    \Vynn    followed   her   example,    go 
ing   ahead    with    rapid,   skilled    movements. 

Far  down  the  row  they  stood  together  a  moment 
and  Ernest,  Wynn  said,  half  quest ioningly,  "I  don't 
understand  that  man  !" 

"He  is  trying  to  praetiee  his  own  teachings,  Mr. 
Wynn.  and  as  they  are  obviously  contradictory  he 
seems  rather  confusing  at  limes." 

"It  seems  to  me.  .Miss  Harding,  that  true  teachers 
of  morality  would  not  misuse  their  energies  in  in 
structing  a  few  how  to  take  advantage  of  the  pn-x 
«-nt  state  of  affairs.  Such  teaehers  would  point  to 
the  normal  relation  of  persons  to  each  other,  and 
instruct  them  how  to  read.just  themselves  to  nature's 
laws,  so  that  each  might  reap  tin-  full  results  of  ra's 
own  labors." 

"Mr.  Trement  has  no  concept  ion  of  such  a  con 
dition,  Mr.  Wynn.  nor  have  I  been  aide  to  get  him 
to  listen — yet  he  has  the  ability  to  do  good  work." 

"Do  you  really   think.    Mr.   Tivmont,  that   young 
people  ought  to  be  taught  to  work  out   their  'finan 
cial    salvation/    regardless  of  the   means  offered.1" 
Mrs.     Fujita     spoke     x.-nously.       "Is     not     making 
a  low  aim.'     Von   know  that   today  such  sue- 


TKKMOXT  AND  WYNN  177 

cess  too  often  involves  the  abandonment  of  truth 
and  virtue — the  prostitution  of  one's  abilities  to  the 
service  of  inequity.  I  admit  that  we  see  these 
things  all  around  us,  yet  surely  it  is  not  wise  to 
teach  our  youths  to  strive  for  financial  success  on 
such  terms.  Don't  you  think  we  should  tell  them 
to  admire  those  lovers  of  truth  who  prefer  their 
own  self-respect  to  anything  that  can  be  gained  by 
bartering  it  away?" 

"Such  teachings  would  hardly  lead  to  any  great 
success  now-a-days,  I'm  quite  sure,  Mrs.  Fujita,  and 
I  want  my  pupils  to  amount  to  something,"  Arthur 
Tremont  smiled  genially.  "They  must  be  in  earn 
est,  and  of  course  we  must  teach  young  people  that 
the  desirable  things  of  life — enjoyment  and  culture 
— can  be  obtained  only  thru  the  possession  of  dol 
lars,  and  it  is  for  such  objects  they  are  working 
when  they  strive  to  make  money." 

The  rake  stopped  abruptly  and  its  holder  leaned 
forward  in  a  frame  of  rose  sprays  to  say  earnestly : 
"You  cannot  'make  money'  in  a  fair  exchange,  Mr. 
Tremont,  you  can  only  make  satisfaction." 

"Miss  Harding  is  right,"  came  Ernest  Wynn's 
voice  from  behind  a  nearby  mass  of  rose  bloom; 
"and  we  need  only  look  about  us  anywhere  today 
to  realize  that  we  get  a  vast  amount  of  dissatisfac 
tion  all  round  when  we  'make  money'." 

"What  are  you  people  talking  about  now?"  and 
Arthur  Tremont  allowed  a  shade  of  perplexity  to 
show  in  face  and  tone  for  a  fleeting  instant. 

Glen  Harding,  still  looking  thru  the  fragrant 
sprays,  noticed  the  expression  and  smiled,  as  she 


17*  TI1K   Sol'L   OK   T1IK    \\<>KIJ> 

said:  "I'nder  equitable  condit ions,  where  all  work 
would  be  a  means  of  self-expression — for  it  is  onl\ 
thru  personal  effort  that  we  can  manifest  normal 
characters  all  trade  would  necessarily  be  a  fair 
exchange  of  equivalents  of  effort.  Service  t'or  Wi 
\  ice  would  In-  tli«-  rule,  and  there  rould  be  HO  such 
thought  or  teaching  as  thnt  involved  in  th<-  plu-asr 
Mlit-  inakinir  of  dollars'." 

"That's  it.  pivrisrlv."  Krurst  Wviiii  cxdaiuird. 
suddenly  appearing,  hoc  iu  hand;  "and  in  that  idea 
we  have  tin-  answer  to  Mrs.  Fujita's  question  as  fcO 
why  'making  niom-y'  is  a  low  aim.  In  a  fair  e\- 
•  •hanjje  there  can  be  no  sense  of  'making  money' 
only  sat  isfaetioii.  Ileiicu,  when  the  money  profit  is 
the  object,  or  is'  possible,  there  is  necessarily  a  con 
dition  of  injustice.  I'nder  equitable  conditions  tin- 
value  of  an  object  would  express  the  PesistWICfi  <>t 
nature  wliieh  labor  had  to  overcome  in  order  to  pro 
duce  the  object — wealth  would  be  the  measure  of 
the  power  we  had  acquired  over  nature.  The  con- 
centrated  wealth  of  today  is  the  measure,  not  only 
of  the  power  over  nature,  but  of  the  tribute  com 
pelling  power  of  property  in  privileges.  IVrsmi- 
Lrenerally  do  not  yet  rcali/c  this,  but  all  human 
beings  are  so  constituted  that  freedom  a  just  con 
dition  is  their  normal  atmo.spheiv.  and  the\  feel 
restless  and  unea.sy  under  injustice  and  oppression, 
even  when  they  are  unable  to  explain  the  cause  of 
such  feelings." 

Arthur  Tremont  looked  thoughtful:  "That  may 
lie  so.  now  that  we  have  advanced  nearer  the  li^ht." 
he  said,  "but  in  the  earlier  times  when  persons 


TREMOXT  AND  WYXX  179 

were  struggling  thru  the  savage  stage  of  life  they 
could  have  no  such  feelings.  Even  now,  the  great 
majority  are  still  so  far  back  in  evolution  that  it 
will  probably  take  several  more  generations  before 
we  can  expect  to  have  just  economic  conditions." 

"That  is  wholly  a  mistake,"  Glen  Harding  ex 
claimed,  skillfully  raking  her  way  around  toward 
the  speaker.  "In  that  elder  time  persons  were 
every  whit  as  human  as  they  are  now.  There  is  no 
evidence  whatever  from  the  past  to  indicate  that 
equity — the  harmonious  association  of  persons — - 
will  ever  come  of  itself,  or  as  the  result  of  the  mere 
passing  of  more  time." 

"I  think  that  is  true,"  Mrs.  Fujita  put  in.  "Too 
many  people  seem  to  forget,  or  fail  to  see,  that 
changes  are  continually,  and  often  very  quickly, 
brought  about  thru  the  acts  of  persons." 

"Still  it  takes  time  for  evolution  to  work  out," 
Arthur  Tremont  quietly  persisted.  "The  most  we 
can  do  now  is  to  secure  all  the  personal  enjoyment 
we  can,  and  set  those  powers  going  which  may  work 
out  toward  freedom  in  the  future." 

"I  cannot  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Tremont,"  Glen 
Harding  wielded  her  rake  as  vigorously  as  tho 
scratching  for  justice  then  and  there.  "We  can 
work  for  and  gain  equal  freedom  far  easier  today 
than  can  those  children" — she  glanced  toward  the 
happy,  frolicking  group  on  the  lawn — "at  a  later 
day,  if  we  accept  your  view  and  leave  them  in  a 
world  more  widely  steeped  in  corruption  and  crime 
than  this  planet  ever  knew  before.  The  way  to 
secure  justice  is  simple  and  easy  to  learn,  and  we — 


LM  THI-:  sun.  or  TIII:  \\OKLD 

we  four  people  here,  and  others  like  us  -have  the 
'  apacky  to  learn  that  way  today,  and  the  power  1" 
follow  it  right  here  and  now!"  There  was  a  glow. 
not  of  the  sunshine,  on  her  face,  and  her  eyes  bla/ed 
as  she  turned  them  full  upon  Arthur  Tremont. 
"Dart'  we  shirk  our  responsibility/  Are  we  sueh 
•  -..wards  .  ' ' 

Arthur  Tremont  's  training  stood  him  in  good 
M«-ad.  and  tho  In-  trembled  inwardly  over  the  possi- 
hle  havoc  the  talk  had  wrought  to  his  dearest  hopes. 
he  was  able  to  say  quietly  and  with  all  due  earnest 
ness:  "You  are  certainly  not  a  coward,  Miss  Hard 
ing,  but  please  bear  in  mind  that  my  viewpoint  is 
not  quite  the  same  as  yours,  tho  1  trust  it  may 
someday  be  so,"  and  in  his  soul  he  felt  a  passionate 
desire  to  conquer  the  love  of  the  woman  before  him. 
How  handsome  she  looked,  he  thought,  during  such 
moments  of  intense  earnestness — excitement.  What 
a  pity  it  was  that  she  should  waste  time  over  sociol 
ogy  when  she  could  be  using  her  talents  to  make  a 
name  as  well  as  a  large  measure  of  BUC< 

"There  is  another  point  on  which  I  differ  from 
\our  conclusions,  Mr.  Tremont,"  said  -Mrs.  Fujita, 
recalling  his  wandering  mind  to  the  duty  of  the 
moment.  "You  teach  that  we  should  practice  doing 
disagreeable  things  in  order  to  strengthen  our 
wills. 

"Certainly,"  was  the  response.  "I  have  person 
ally  found  the  practice  very  helpful." 

"Yet  as  a  public  school  teacher  I  always  found 
my  pupils  advanced,  became  strongest  mentally, 
along  the  lines  in  which  they  took  the  most  interest 


TRUMONT  AND  WYNN  181 

and  therefore  liked  to  do.  Surely  we  can  exercise 
our  muscles,  at  least  as  effectively,  in  doing  work 
we  like  as  in  doing  what  we  dislike  and  shrink 
from. ' ' 

"Oh,  no,"  was  the  quick  reply,  "you  mistake  me. 
I  mean  that  ordinary  people,  even  the  weakest  sort 
of  persons,  can  do  things  they  like  to  do;  things 
that  offer  no  resistance,  while  it  takes  a  really  ener 
getic  man  or  woman  to  go  ahead  against  resistance 
— whether  inner  or  outer.  On  that  account  I  advise 
the  frequent  practice  of  doing  disagreeable  things 
in  order  to  strengthen  the  muscles,  both  mental  and 
physical." 

"I  do  not  see  it  in  that  light,"  Mrs.  Fujita  per 
sisted.  "Surely  there  is  ample  resistance  to  compel 
healthful  physical  and  mental  growth  in  the  natural 
difficulties  met  with  in  pleasurable  work — any  work 
worth  doing.  The  hard  wood  is  no  less  tough  be 
cause  I  like  to  carve  it.  The  problems  I  have  to 
master  require  just  as  careful  study,  if  I  desire  to 
become  a  teacher  of  mathematics." 

"But  don't  you  see  that  those  things  are  easy 
for  you,  if  you  like  to  do  them?"  Arthur  Tremont 
was  insistent  in  his  turn. 

Mrs.  Fujita  laughed.  "I  assure  you,  Mr.  Tre 
mont,  that  I  did  not  find  it  so  in  the  case  of  math 
ematics.  I  am  quite  certain  the  mental  training 
was  more  helpful  to  me  just  because  I  loved  to 
wrestle  with  and  conquer  the  problems  than  it 
could  have  been  if  I  had  been  driven  to  the  study 
as  to  a  disagreeable  task." 

The  others  were  again  near  enough  to  hear  the 


IM-  TIN-:  son.  OF  TIII-:  \VOK-LI> 

talk,  and  Krncst  Wynii  |>nl  in  ;i  word:  "I  think 
the  idea  that  ii  is  necessary  to  do  disagreeable 
tilings  in  order  to  attain  power  arises  from  indus 
trial  conditions  which  have  made  labor  almost 
synonymous  with  slavery." 

"I  feel  sure  that  is  true.  I'nder  equitable  con 
ditions  sneh  an  idea  could  have  no  place,  for  all 
work  would  l»e  done  with  the  pleasure  that  attends 

collsciolls    self-expression.        lles'ldes.    to    a     person    ailll- 

ing  at  the  fullest  and  truest  development,  nothing 
can  l>e  disagreeable  that  it  is  right  or  wise  or  kind 
to  do."  As  she  spoke  (ilcu  Harding  noticed  the 
momentary  blankiiess  on  the  face  of  the  one  man 
and  the  quick  appreciation  in  the  eyes  of  the  other. 

"There  is  certainly  a  lot  of  difference  between 
ancient  work-  and  that  turned  out  by  mir  modern 
commercial  'systems',''  said  Mrs.  Fu.jita,  thought 
fully.  "The  thoro,  careful  faithfulness  of  the  one 
shows  a  love  of  the  work  itself;  while  the  work  of 
the  modern  factory  slave  is  shoddy,  and  too  often 
but  half  done,  so  that  it  hardly  holds  together — it 
is  made  to  sell  and  not  to  last." 

"In  the  older  time."  observed  Glen  Harding,  "all 
work  was  part  of  the  religious  life  of  the  people. 
Goddesses  and  gods  worked,  and  all  terrestrial 
work,  being  an  imitation  of  celestial  patterns,  was 
honorable  and  was  loved  and  done  always  with  a 
just  pride  in  its  successful  accomplishment.  This 
applied  to  both  physical  and  mental  effort;  to  the 
composing  of  a  poem  or  the  carving  of  a  signet 
ring,  or  the  building  of  a  temple." 

"1    remember  an    illustration   of  that   trait,   given 


TREMONT  AND  WYNN  183 

iu  one- of  the  Stoddard  lectures,"  said  Mrs.  Fujita, 
"One  of  the  fragments  of  the  ruined  Parthenon 
was  a  portion  of  a  frieze  that  once  surrounded  the 
entire  edifice.  "The  figures  in  this  frieze  were  fully 
fifty  feet  from  the  ground,  where  small  defects 
would  never  have  been  noticed,  yet  every  part  of 
each  was  finished  with  the  utmost  care.'  Their  fall 
brought  the  sculptor's  grand  fidelity  to  light  after- 
two  thousand  years." 

"How  does  our  modern  work  compare  with 
that?"  exclaimed  Glen  Harding. 

"But,  surely,  Miss  Harding,  you  admit  that  our 
advanced  civilization  had  to  pass  thru  a  stage  of 
slavery  in  order  that  people  should  learn  to  work?" 
said  Arthur  Tremont. 

"I  freely  admit,"  was  the  quick  retort,  "that 
our  advanced  civilization  is  an  embodiment  of  the 
worst  slavery  the  world  has  ever  known.  The 
power  to  rise  high  measures  the  degradation  of  the 
fall.  I  deny  utterly,  however,  that  any  real  advance 
ever  has  or  ever  can  come  on  account  of  slave  con 
ditions.  It  is  only  thru  the  abolition  of  all  forms 
of  slavery  that  we  can  ever  become  truly  advanced, 
in  the  sense  of  enlightened  and  fit  for  higher 
things." 

"I  agree  with  Miss  Harding."  Ernest  Wynn 
came  hoeing  rapidly  up  along  the  hedge  of  Ragged 
Robin  and  Cherokee  roses,  the  more  easily  to  join 
in  the  talk.  "The  mo'dern  doctrine  of  evolution,  by 
natural  selection — the  struggle  for  existence — is 
responsible  for  many  of  the  greatest  errors  among 
educated  people  today.  Yet  consider  its  inherent 


184  TNI-:  son.  I.K  THK  \\<>KLI> 

weakness!  It  is  based  on  the  theory  of  develop 
ment  from  the  simple  to  the  complex — the  tendency 
t«i  individualizalion,  differentiation." 

"Yet  its  most  earnest  supporters,  such  as  Herbert 
Spencer,  held  that  its  application  to  human  develop 
ment  necessitated  the  evolution  of  civilization  from 
chattel  slavery,"  interjected  Mrs.  Fujita. 

"Exactly,"  continued  Ernest  Wynn,  "and  the 
tendency  of  slavery,  of  every  form,  is  to  destr<>\ 
individuality,  to  annihilate  distinctions  and  reduce 
all  to  a  dead  level  of  uniform  activities  and  con 
ditions.  That  is,  the  tendency  of  slavery  is  exactly 
opposite  to  the  tendency  of  what  evolution  is  sup 
posed  to  be — progress.  The  two  tendencies  are 
mutually  antagonistic.  The  dominance  of  either 
involves  the  destruction  of  the  other." 

4 'Then  our  socialist  friends  are  trying  to  do  t In- 
impossible, M  suggested  Mrs.  Fujita,  "when  they  aim 
at  securing  freedom  thru  compulsory  combination." 

"Assuredly,"  agreed  Ernest  Wynn.  "It  is  not 
possible  to  secure  freedom  thru  compulsion." 

"Now  this  work  is  all  done,"  remarked  Glen 
Harding,  glancing  critically  along  the  length  of 
hed^'c.  and  about  the  rose  arbor  and  scattered 
bushes.  "Let  us  go  up  to  the  pergola,  it  is  cooler 
there  and  we  will  have  some  lemonade." 

The  others  rose  at  once,  and  Ernest  Wynn  picked 
up  his  coat  and  took  possession  of  rake  and  hot-. 
"I'll  put  the  tools  away  and  join  you  in  a  moment," 
he  said,  starting  quickly  toward  the  vine-covered 
tool  shed  in  the  rear  irardeii. 


CHAPTER  11. 


A  WOMAN'S  VIEWS. 

"What  a  delicious  morning,  Glen!"  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Fujita,  as  the  two  friends,  with  baby  Irene 
between  them,  started  off  in  the  little  auto  soon 
after  dawn,  on  a  cloudless  May  morning.  "Let  us 
go  slow  and  enjoy  the  air,  it  is  so  pure  and  fine 
even  here  in  the  city,  at  this  hour,  and  then  we  can 
see  more  of  the  country,  too." 

"All  right,  Helen,  that  just  suits  me.  I  cannot 
see  any  sense  in  using  a  car  merely  to  see  how  fast 
we  can  get  over  the  ground.  We  will  go  out  Lin 
coln  Avenue,  the  road  I  showed  you  the  other  day — 
and  then  east  and  south  along  the  foothills.  That 
way  you  can  see  a  good  deal  before  the  smoke  gath 
ers  and  spoils  the  views.  Do  you  know,  Helen," 
she  went  on,  reflectively,  "to  me  it  seems  good  just 
to  be  alive  on  such  a  morning,  and  yet  most  people 
in  the  city  are  still  in  bed  and  miss  it  all;  and  too 
many  in  the  country  seem  not  to  notice  or  are  too 
busy  to  heed  the  beauty  about  them,  even  where 
their  work  calls  them  up  and  out  in  the  early  hours." 

"You  have  a  good  deal  of  that  mere  joy  of  living, 
which  my  husband  says  is  a  characteristic  of  the 
Japanese ! ' ' 

"It  is  because  of  their  outdoor  life.  They  will 
lose  it,  Helen,  if  they  are  shut  up  in  shops  and  fac 
tories — even  in  schools.  It  is  simply  our  normal 


1st;  TIII;  SOUL  OF    I1 1  IK   WOULD 

love  of  nut  of  doors.  It  is  lost  where  our  ciyiliza- 
tion  turns  night  into  day.  r.-.-n-.-itiiui  into  dissipation. 
,-ind  work  into  drudger\  ." 

HIT  friend  looked  serious.  "1  h;id  not  thought 
of  it  in  th;it  way.  (Jleii.  luit  I  86€  what  you  mean. 
I  must  tell  my  husband.  What  an  awful  amount  of 
suffering  then-  is  in  a  world  when-  all  naluiv  seems 
made  for  abundant  enjoyment.  \Vc  ought  all  to 
he  as  happy  as  the  birds,  just  hear  them  sing! 
Look.  Irene:"  She  called  the  child's  attention  to  a 

large    tloek    nf   lillliets    resting   ,,,,    the    telephone    Wires. 

A-  she  s|»oke  the  birds  tle\v  down  among  the  grain 
and  weeds  in  a  iield  they  wen-  passing,  and  the 
child  laughed  aloud  in  delight,  there  were  so  many. 

"There  is  a  mocking  bird.  Irene."  said  (ilen 
Harding,  "and  I  hear  a  meadow  lark,  we  must 
watch  for  it.  1  tell  you.  Helen,  we  simply  miisl 
find  a  way  to  make  people  see  how  easily  and 
quickly  they — we — all  of  us  together  can  live  as 
joyously  as  the  birds.  \Ve  must  show  them  that 
there  is  not  the  shadow  of  a  shade  nf  necessity  for 
the  poverty  and  suffering  that  exi.sts  today." 

"Mill  ho\\  can  we  dn  it.'  My  husband  writes  me 
that  even  in  pleasant  -lapan  the  people  are  getting 
Worse  «»ff.  and  that  is  ;i  Lrreat  disa  ppoiut  incut  to 
man\ ." 

"I  don't  see  ho\\  such  a  condition  can  be  avoided, 
anywhere  in  the  whole  wide  world,  so  long  as  the 
land  <|iiestion  remains  unsettled.  Oh.  Helen:  The 
\er\  reali/at  inn  of  ho\\  easily  and  quickly  all  this 
suffering  and  crime  can  be  done  awa\  with  makes 
it  harder  to  endure!  It  seems  as  tlm  I  must  be 


A    WOMAN'S  VIEWS  187 

out  and  doing  active  work  somewhere,  and  now 
that  Mr.  Wynn's  discovery  has  put  the  whole  sub 
ject  on  a  strictly  scientific  basis — as  definite  and 
readily  understood  as  the  fact  that  two  straight 
lines  cannot  enclose  a  space,  I  cannot  keep  still 
much  longer." 

Mrs.  Pujita  looked  at  the  animated  face  of  her 
friend  and  marveled  at  the  intense  longing  it 
expressed.  "You  have  some  plan  of  work  in 
mind,  I  do  believe,  Glen,"  she  said. 

"Yes,  but  it  will  take  more  than  one  person  to 
carry  out  my  plan,  so  I  must  wait.  But,  Helen, 
you  have  a  great  opportunity  before  you !  With 
Mr.  Fujita's  position  and  influence  to  help,  you  can 
get  the  true  solution  of  the  whole  industrial  prob 
lem  before  the  Emperor  and  his  Cabinet.  I  feel 
sure,  too;  that  Mr.  Motora  will  do  all  in  his  power 
to  help  on  the  cause.  Helen,  that  man  has  in  him 
the  making  of  the  finest  sort  of  statesman,  and  he 
is  devoted,  heart  and  soul,  to  his  country  and  its 
people,"  she  ended,  enthusiasticall}7. 

"I  shall  certainly  learn  all  I  can  while  here,  and 
then  do  all  in  my  power  to  help  the  Japanese — 
Japan  will  be  my  home  and  my  country  then,  you 
know.  But,  Glen" — Mrs.  Fujita  looked  long  and 
earnestly  at  her  friend — "I  am  sure  you  could  have 
a  greater  power  for  good  in  Japan  than  I  can  even 
hope  to  exert.  I  have  watched  Mr.  Motora  every 
time  he  has  been  with  us,  and  there  is  no  mistaking 
his  feeling  or  his  desire.  As  his  wife  you  would  be 
placed  at  once  in  a  position  of  power  that  would 
open  the  way  to  make  your  influence  felt  in  the 


i^  TIII-:  soi  L  OF  TIIK  WOULD 

highest  envies  «»!'  the  empire.  Mr.  Motora 's  rank 
is  higher  and  Ins  wraith  vastly  greater  than  my 
husband's." 

Glen  Harding  looked  surprised.  "I  knew  he  was 
well-to-do,''  she  said,  "hut  I  hml  no  idea  that  Mr. 
Motora  was  especially  rich." 

"Well,  he  is.  for  a  Japanese,  immensely  rich.  Of 
course  that  is  not  as  wealth  is  counted  in  the  United 
States.  There  are,  as  yet,  no  multi-millionaires  in 
Japan.  Inazo  Motora  and  my  husband  have  been 
great  friends  since  they  were  mere  babies,  so  I 
learned  all  about  him.  Oh,  Glen,  it  would  be  so 
splendid  to  have  yon  in  Japan  !  We  might  live  quite 
near  together." 

"Yes,  that  would  be  very  pleasant  for  me,"  Glen 
Harding  admitted,  noticing  the  yearning  in  her 
friend's  voice  and  eyes.  "But,  Helen,  Mr.  Motora 
has  not  said  anything  to  me  of  wishes  in  that  line." 

"He  is  sure  to  do  so  soon.  I  know  the  signs;  and 
you  are  not  blind,  either,"  Mrs.  Fujita  smilingly 
retorted.  "Personally,  he  appears  to  be  exactly  t In 
sert  of  ideal  yon  used  to  want  for  a  husband;  with 
his  dark  eyes  and  hair,  his  fine  form  and  graceful 
manners!  Don't  you  remember?" 

Her  friend  laughed.  "What  a  memory  you  have, 
Helen,  for  our  old  time  talks!  I  am  quite  willing 
to  admit  that  Mr.  Motora  is  a  decidedly  attractive 
man,  and,"  she  concluded,  gravely,  "I  have  thought 
a  great  deal  lately  about  the  possibility  of  going  to 
Japan  to  live." 

They  were  going  slowly,  im-  an  automobile,  along 
a  pleasant  road,  enjoying  to  the  full  the  clear  air 


A    WOMAN'S  VIEWS  189 

and  cloudless  .sky,  and  the  morning  changes  in  color 
on  the  mountains  to  the  north.  Glen  Harding 
pointed  out  places  of  interest,  almost  halting  the  car 
when  passing  an  especially  attractive  orchard, 
orange  grove  or  garden.  At  last  she  turned  sud 
denly  to  her  friend  with  the  question:  "Helen, 
what  do  you  think  of  Mr.  Tremont?" 

Mrs.  Fujita  smiled.  "He  is  a  handsome  man,  tho 
not  so  like  your  early  ideal  as  Mr.  Motora.  In  other 
things  I  think  Mr.  Tremont  does  not  compare  too 
favorably  with  my  husband's  friend." 

"What  things,  for  instance?" 

"Well,  of  course  Mr.  Motora  has  known  all  his 
life  and  as  part  of  his  life,  many  things  Mr.  Tre 
mont  has  only  studied  for  a  few  years.  That  would 
naturally  make  some  difference  in  the  way  they  look 
at  the  ancient  eastern  religions  and  so-called  occult 
studies ;  and  yet,  Glen — I  may  be  mistaken,  of  course 
—it  seems  to  me  that  Mr.  Motora  studies  those  things 
today  with  an  earnest  desire  to  learn  the  truth,  to 
understand  their  real  meaning;  while  Mr.  Tremont 
studies  for  the  mere  purpose  of  making  something — 
'making  dollars,'  as  he  said.  Winning  'success'  to 
him  is  a  matter  of  more  or  less  money.  Of  course 
he  would  only  make  it  in  a  'legitimate'  way — but 
what  does  that  mean  to  any  of  us  today?" 

"So  you  noticed  that,  too.  I  sometimes  doubt  if 
he  is  really  aware  of  what  he  is  doing — if  he  under 
stands  enough  to  comprehend  the  full  measure  of 
responsibility  he  has  assumed  in  the  position  he 
takes  as  a  teacher.  There  are  times  when  it  seems 


I'.MI  -I1 1 IK  son.  <>K  TIM-: 

to  me  tluil  Mr.  Tn-mniit  is  like  a  child  playing  with 
matches  i.r  edged  tools." 

"Tluit     may    be,    Glen."     her     friend      answered, 

thought  fully.     "And   yet    it    seems  hard  to  imagine. 

ng  that  Mr.  Tremont  appears  to  have  had  ample 

opportunity   to   learn.      Another  thing.      1    could   not 

help   noticing  the  other  day   that    Mr.   Tremont    doCM 

nut    even    try    to    understand   the    land   question.      He 

it  her  hopelessly   ignorant   or  wilfully   blind." 

"Jt  is  wilful  blindness.  Helen.  lie  deliberately 
shuts  his  mind  up  from  all  thought  on  that  line. 
He  has  ample  capacity,  but  refuses  to  exercise  it  on 
an\  study  of  the  land  quest  ion." 

Mrs.  Fujita  regarded  her  friend  hopefully  as  she 
said:  "It  is  plain.  (Jlen.  that  Mr.  Motora  is  thorolv 
serious  in  his  effort  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  the  wln>le 
subject.'' 

"Indeed  he  is!"  was  the  hearty  assent.  "I  intend 
to  have  him  go  home  the  best  posted  man  in  Japan, 
on  the  land  question." 

"Jf  you  would  only  go  with  him.  (lien!  How 
glad  I  would  he!"  Then,  persuasively:  "My  hus 
band  says  it  is  a  delightful  country,  in  spite  of  the 
earthquakes." 

Gl<*n  Harding  regarded  her  friend  long  and  seri 
ously  before  she  said:  "So  many  people  think 
tlnre  is  great  risk  in  marrying  into  another  race 
than  one's  own.  May  I  ask  you  a  question,  Helen?" 

"As  many  as  you  like,  and  I'll  answer  them  if  I 
can." 

"Are  you  sorry  to  have  to  take  Irene  to  Japan, 
while  still  so  littlef" 


A   WOMAN'S  VIEWS  191 

"Not  at  all,"-  was  the  prompt  reply.  "I  would 
rather  have  Irene  grow  up  in  Japan.  The  Japanese 
seem  to  take  a  more  serious  view  of  life  than  we  do 
here.  I  would  have  gone  with  my  husband,  you 
know,  if  it  had  not  been  for  mother's  illness.  She 
is  entirely  recovered  now  and  promises  to  make  us 
a  long  visit  next  year,  if  all  goes  well." 

"Then  you  are  quite  happy  in  your  marriage?" 

"Entirely  so,  Glen,"  and  the  deep  contentment 
in  the  blue  eyes  spoke  louder  than  her  words  to  the 
friend  who  loved  her.  "I  don't  think  it  is  merely 
because  my  husband  is  a  Japanese,  however;  but 
because  we  are  thoroly  suited  to  each  other.  In 
the  same  way,  I  believe  Mr.  Motora  is  just  the  sort 
of  man  with  whom  you  would  be  happiest.  It's  the 
character  and. spirit  of  the  man  I  think  of,  and  not 
his  being  a  Japanese  rather  than  an  American." 

"Then  an  American  with  a  similar  sort  of  charac 
ter  and  spirit,  the  same  earnest  desire  to  help  his 
fellow  beings  and  the  same  ardent  love  of  truth  for 
its  own  sake ;  and  with  whom  I  could  work  for  free 
dom,  would  do  just  as  well?" 

Mrs.  Fujita  gave  her  friend  a  quick  look  of  com 
prehension.  "Yes,  to  be  quite  honest,  Glen,  I  think 
he  would,"  she  said. 

"There's  nothing  in  particular  to  see  along  here, 
just  the  wide  outlook  over  the  valley,  so  we  can  go 
a  little  faster  for  awhile,"  remarked  Glen  Harding 
a  moment  later.  "I  want  to  get  to  a  delightful  spot 
I  know,  in  which  to  eat  our  breakfast,  and  where  I 
can  show  Irene  some  pretty  things."  She  looked 
down  at  the  child,  who  glanced  up  happily  and  then 


l'.'-J  TIIK   sol   L   OF   Till:    NVOKLH 

turned  h s  at  lent  ion  again  to  a  brahd  new  Insist  iu 
the  shape  of  a  gray  cotton  flannel  elephant,  now 
dimgling  in  a  perilous  position  outside  the  car.  as 
baby  Irene  h«-ld  it  by  its  wisp  of  tail.  The  Dennison 
children,  feeling  that  their  guest  could  not  be  quite 
happy  without  an  ellie.  had  coaxed  .Miss  Lane,  the 
seams!  ress.  in  make  it  the  day  before,  and  Mrs. 
Dent  had  embroidered  its  gorgeous  scarlet  blanket. 

"The  little  Dennisons  arc  among  the  nicest  chil 
dren  I've  ever  seen,  Glen,"  observed  Irene's  mother. 
U  she  rescued  the  elephant  and  placed  it  safely  by 
Irene's  side. 

"They  are  happy  and  «ri»nd  because  they  are 
healthy."  said  their  aunt,  in  pleased  tones.  "Birdie 
is  ivnlly  very  sensible  in  their  training,  and  the  more 

she    srrs    <  d'    .irond     results    the    more    readily    she    ^ives 

way  to  our  ideas — the  plans  you  and  1  talked  over 
so  often." 

"I've  tried  them  on  Irene  with  great  satisfaction. 
.Mother  was  a  little  inclined  to  spoil  her  only  grand- 
ehild.  but  I  insisted  on  having  my  way — plain  i'<»od. 
plenty  of  sleep  and  out  doors,  and  no  uniierrssarv 
holding  or  coddling.  Irene's  father  entered  heartily 
into  all  my  ideas  for  the  baby,  besides  having  his 
<»\\  n  as  to  physical  culture  for  we  both  want  Irene 
lo  be  as  graceful  as  any  Japanese  and  we  have  done 
well,  as  you  see." 

Glen  Harding  looked  down  at  the  beautiful  child. 
10  briLrht  and  happy,  and  then  there  came  to  her 
mind  the  thought  of  other  children  of  children 
with  wan.  pinched  faces;  of  children  whose  little 
bodies  were  brut  and  crippled  from  toil,  from 


A  WOMAN'S  VIEWS  193 

from  neglect — and  she  spoke  her  thought  abruptly — 

"Helen,  can  you  be  entirely  happy  with  Irene  and 
forget  the  children  in  our  schools  and  factories  and 
mines  f" 

"What  do  you  mean,  Glen?"  the  other  asked,  half 
startled.  "I  am  certainly  very  happy  with  Irene," 
and  she  glanced  fondly  at  the  child.  "Of  course  I 
never  really  forget  that  there  are  thousands  of  un 
fortunate  children,  and  I  would  gladly  help  them  if 
I  could;  but  what  can  I  do?  I  confess  to  a  great 
lack  of  faith  in  the  child-labor  legislation  now  being 
demanded.  We  have  entirely  too  much  legislation 
already.  You  and  I  know  that  it  does  not  strike  at 
the  root  of  the  evil." 

"Now,  that's  sensible,  Helen,"  her  friend  eagerly 
exclaimed.  "There  are  not  a  few  who  claim  to  see 
to  the  root  of  the  evils  about  us,  and  yet  keep  on 
using  up  their  time  and  money  and  spare  energ}^ 
on  the  very  palliatives  -they  know  can  never  stop 
the  evil.  But  here  we  are  at  the  Welden  Ranch." 
She  turned  the  car  into  a  broad  driveway,  with  tall 
palms  on  either  side.  "The  place  is  vacant  now,  but 
the  owner  is  a  friend  of  Will's,  and  I  want  to  show 
you  over  the  place.  We  will  breakfast  in  a  lovely 
spot  at  one  end  of  the  pergola,  from  which  we  can 
have  a  fine  view  of  mountains  and  valley." 

The  hamper  was  soon  unpacked  and  the  simple 
breakfast  spread  on  a  small  table.  "Is  it  not  delight 
ful?"  Glen  Harding  asked,  as  she  busied  about,  get 
ting  Irene  seated  and  well  provided  for. 

"It  is  glorious,  Glen!"  Mrs.  Fujita  was  looking 
out  from  the  shelter  of  the  vines,  over  the  beautiful 


itu  TIII-:  M>CL  or  THI:  \vui;u> 

L-ardeU    and    beyond    to    tlui    heights    (ill    Olle    llillld.    aild 

then  on"  on  the  other  over  the  t';ir  P0ach6i  of  pleasant 
valley  land. 

"It  is  a  beautiful  country,  (lieu,  and  I  don't  won 
der  you  love  it  !" 

"I  often  think  how  different  life  would  be  if. 
instead  of  (Mir  crowded  cities,  with  their  squalor  and 
misery  and  erinir.  we  had  a  country  full  of  beauti 
ful  hoiiics.  where  the  air  and  sunshine  eoiild  get  at 
them  all  around :  with  gardens,  larger  or  small. -r 
than  this  live  acres,  about  every  one.  There  is 
plenty  of  room,  and  sun  and  air.  and  plenty  of  people 
to  enjoy  such  a  life." 

"If  we  could  only  make  them  see  the  way,  (}len! 
It  would  take  so  little  time  to  change  it  all." 

"Oh,  Helen,"  and  (lien  Harding's  tones  expressed 
the  deep  enthusiasm  of  a  firm  conviction,  as  she 
continued:  "I  am  quite  sure  that  a  mere  fraction 
of  the  time,  eti'm-l  and  money  now  beinjr  spent  in 
Irving  to  secure  restrictive  laws,  if  put  into  strai«rht- 
forward.  definite  work  for  equal  freedom,  would  so 
rome  and  (  diicalc  puhlie  sentiim-nt  that  public  opin 
ion-  thf  st  i-oii^'-st  of  all  human  forces-  -would  wipe 
out  the  whole  miserable  mass  of  special  privilege 
legislation  and  establish  in  its  stead  such  a  land 

system  as  would  «riv |iial  opportunities  to  all. 

Then  all  could  have  homes  as  pleasant  as  this,  and 
there  would  be  no  thought  of  child  labor  legisla 
tion,  for  there  could  be  no  child  laborers  among  a 
free  -a  thoroly  sane  and  rational  people." 

"That  sounds  easy.  (Jleii.  and  I  wish  with  all  my 
h.-art  that  it  could  be.  Vet  I  have  no  idea  how  to 


A   WOMAN'S  VIEWS  195 

go  to  work  to  stir  up  such  a  sentiment.  The  change 
would  be  easy  enough  to  make — it  is  getting  people 
to  realize  it  that  is  difficult.  I've  tried,  honestly  tried 
hard,  to  get  women  with  whom  I  have  come  in  con 
tact,  interested  in  the  single  tax.  I  confess  I  have 
not  been  encouraged  by  the  result.  I  do  think  a 
good  deal  about  the  children,  Glen.  Since  I  have 
had  our  little  Irene" — she  glanced  with  a  bright 
smile  at  the  child,  whose  answering  smile  illuminated 
the  dark  eyes  and  spread  in  laughing  ripples  over 
the  face — "Glen,  I  seem  to  love  all  other  chil 
dren  as  I  never  did  before,  tho  you  know  I  always 
liked  them.  I  want  Irene  to  live  in  a  freer  world. 
Yet  it  will  not  help  the  poor,  unfortunate  little  ones 
for  me  to  sit  about  and  cry  over  a  fate  I  cannot 
cure." 

"Surely  not!  But  don't  you  see,  Helen,  how  the 
deadening  influence  of  that  slave  suggestion,  'what 
cannot  be  cured  must  be  endured, '  acts  like  an  opiate 
on  our  minds?  You  and  I  know — and  so  do  all 
intelligent  people  who  stop  to  think  about  it  seri 
ously — that  human  legislation  made,  created,  that 
property  in  privileges  which  makes  child  labor  and 
child  suffering  an  unavoidable  result — and  we  ought 
to  know  that  human  beings  can  wipe  out  all  that 
injustice  the  moment  public  sentiment  intelligently 
demands  it." 

"Of  course  they  can.  I  see  that  plain  enough,  but 
I  don't  see  ho\v  to  get  people  interested;  how  to 
get  the  subject  fairly  and  fully  before  the  whole 
people.  It  seems  hard  to  get  any  one  to  listen. 
Even  some  of  the  old  time  single  taxers  I  talked 


1'...;  TI1K   SOU,   OK   TllK    WuKLh 

with  in  New  York  appear  to  have  lost  the  liveh 
interest  Miid  enthusiasm  the\  used  t<>  sh<»w.  What 
shall  we  do.  <ileii.'  What  can  we  do  about  it?  Do 
you  think  .Mr.  W  vim's  discovery  will  wake  iij)  the 

people  TM 

"That  is  exactly  what  1  mean  to  Mini  out."  was 
the  decided  retort.  "1  believe  it  will  appeal  to 
the  love  of  freedom  and  fairness  that  is  somewhere 
in  every  human  being — rich  and  poor  alike.  Kver\ 
sort  of  person  would  be  benefited  and  none  injured. 
so  we  '-an  appeal  to  all.  It  is  to  the  personal  inter 
est  of  each  to  secure  a  balanced  land  tenure  at  the 
earliest  possible  date." 

"I  wish  we  could  get  more  women  to  understand 
and  work  for  the  settlement  of  the  land  question. 
Glen." 

"So  do  1  !  It  is  not  now  a  question  of  voting,  but 
only  of  learning  the  truth  and  then  helping  spread 
the  good  news;  and  in  that  women  can  help — just 
wherever  they  happen  to  be  at  this  minute. 
There  simply  must  be  some  way  found,  Helen, 
thru  which  women  generally  eau  be  interested  and 
enlisted  in  the  cause  of  real  freedom — to  work  for  a 
balanced  land  tenure.  .lust  think  of  all  the  money 
and  energy  women  are  wasting,  thinking  they  are 
working  their  way  out.  Tlio,"  she  added  thought 
fully,  "there  are  aiimn<:  those  workers  some  who 
•ee  that  all  such  effort  is  onl\  palliative;  that  in 
working  for  1  emperaiic,-.  MifVrage.  all  manner  of 
legislation  and  every  conceivable  sort  of  eharity. 
they  are  i,o|  touching  the  heart  of  the  problem. 
Tlic\  srr  as  plainly  as  \\  e  ,{,,  that  in  spite  of  all  their 


A  WOMAN'S  VIEWS  197 

work  the  times  get  harder  and  oppression  grows 
heavier,  and  the  suffering  becomes  more  unendur 
able.  I  tell  you,  Helen,  there  must  be,  there  shall 
be,  a  way  found  thru  which  women  can  be  made 
to  see  that  all  the  problems  with  which  they  are 
struggling — whether  personal  or  local  or  national — 
have  their  roots  in  a  system  of  property  in  privileges 
which  enables  a  few  persons  to  live — to  riot — on  the 
earnings  of  the  many.  Think  a  moment,  Helen,  of 
the  vast  power  for  good  they  could  be  if  such  organ 
ized  bodies  of  women  as  the  suffragists  or  the 
Women's  Clubs,  or  Woman's  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  or  even  any  one  of  them,  could  once  grasp 
the  fact  that  all  the  real  things  they  desire  are 
kept  from  them  thru  the  power  of  property  in 
privileges,  and  that  their  only  hope  of  success  lies  in 
the  total  abolition  of  all  such  privileges." 

Half  smiling  at  her  friend's  vehemence,  yet 
feeling  strongly  the  force  of  her  words,  Mrs. 
Pujita  answered,  thoughtfully:  "There  can  be 
no  doubt  about  their  power  if  they  once  saw  the 
truth ;  but  the  great  difficulty,  Glen,  is  to  gain  their 
attention  long  enough  to  consider  the  subject  at 
all.  I  had  a  bit  of  rather  sharp  experience  in  that 
line  several  months  ago.  I  met  one  of  the  prom 
inent  workers  for  child  labor  legislation  and  tried 
my  best  to  get  her  to  see  the  bearing  of  the  land 
question  on  the  work  she  was  doing.  She  answered 
me  politely,  but  quite  firmly,  that  she  was  a  socialist, 
and  she  would  not  even  try  to  understand  what  T 
wished  to  explain." 

"I  understand,  Helen.     I  have  met  the  same  sort 


I'.'s  TMK   SOIL  OK  T1IK 

of  bland  refusal  sho\\  n  in  word  or  action — from 
moiv  than  on.-  enthusiast  ie  worker  on  palliative 
lines.  I  freelx  .-idniit  tliat  they  mean  well,  hnt  none 
the  less.  Helen,  in  refusing  to  try  to  understand  tin- 
land  ojiestion  they  are  actually  prubmirini:.  and 
thereby  helping  t,,  make  worse  the  very  sutVerin^ 
they  siM-k  1<>  alleviate.  Vet  they  really  want  -they 
badly  need  true  freedom.  Only  thru  that  <-an  they 

ever   secure    peace    and    comfort    for   all    people." 

"Of  course  they  want  freedom.  (Jlen,"  a«Mjniex,-.-d 
her  1'riend.  "They  want  all  that  is  «r«M»<l.  jus!  ;)s 
inncli  as  yon  and  1  do.  The  (piestion  is:  Ho\\-  ean 
we  jr<-t  them  to  see  the  only  road  that  leads  to  the 
desired  goal?" 

"If  they  would  only  seriously  study  the  snhject 
for  themselves  I  have  no  shadow  of  donht  a>  to  the 
result-  for  truth  would  win.  and  do  it  soon." 

"lint  women  are  v,,  l,iis\.  s«,  inert,  so  driven,  so 
\;\/.\  o]1  so  inditVerent  1  met  all  those  varieties.  (Jim. 
\\hile  trNiiiLT  to  .iret  ;n'« piji int «•«!  \\ith  the  mothers  of 
my  pupils— that  they  eonseionsly  or  iineonseionsly 
refuse  to  listen.  You  know  how  it  is  yourself! 
However.  I  have  l»y  no  means  Driven  up  the  effort, 
and  as  the  women  .,)'  Japan  are  now  so  wide  awake 
on  many  lines.  I  have  hopes  of  IM-'IIIJ;  ahle  to  work 
faster  there  than  I  eonld  do  here,  in  this  eonntr.\." 

"  Yon  may  find  it  so.  Helen.  I  think  it  more  than 
prohahle  that  you  will.  All  the  same.  I  intend  to 
find  a  way  to  .jet  the  women  of  the  I'nited  States  to 
understand  a  balaneed  land  tenure  and  all  that  it 
means  to  every  one  of  Ms  they  shall  understand!" 

"  I  do  hope  s...  I. nt  oh  '."      she  broke  ,,fV  abruptly 


>  WOMAN'S  VIEWS  199 

"do  look  at  Irene  among  those  flowers!"  and  Mrs. 
Fujita  started  hastily  toward  the  baby,  standing  in 
the  midst  of  the  golden  glory  of  a  wide  stretch  of 
California  poppies  which  filled  the  slope  between  the 
pergola  and  the  driveway. 

"Isn't  it  a  lovely  picture,  Helen!  You  fix  the 
camera  while  I  hold  Irene's  attention.  Pick  all  the 
pretty  flowers  you  want,  Irene,"  and  the  little 
human  flower  set  gleefully  to  work,  gathering  great 
handfuls  of  the  sort  of  golden  treasure  that  chil 
dren  love. 

"Why  think  of  the  women  of  the  United  States 
now,  Glen?  I  believe  there  is  a  grand  opportunity 
for  us  among  the  women  of  Japan,"  suggested  Mrs. 
Fujita,  persuasively,  when  they  were  again  going 
leisurely  along  the  sunny  road.  "You  will  find  they 
are  quite  wide  awake  and  eager  to  learn  all  that  is 
good.  They  have  not  yet  become  so  absorbed  in 
different  lines  of  thought  and  work  as  to  exclude 
all  consideration  of  other  lines  to  which  their  atten 
tion  is  seriously  and  earnestly  called." 

"You  may  be  right — as  to  the  women  of  Japan," 
assented  her  friend.  "Mr.  Motora  has  told  me  a 
good  deal  about  his  countrywomen,  and  they  evi 
dently  have  a  much  greater  influence  than  west 
erners  generally  have  imagined.  I  am  confident 
that  it  is  well  worth  while  making  a  special  effort 
to  win  their  attention  to  a  balanced  land  tenure  in 
its  direct  bearing  on  the  lives  of  women  and 
children.  I  confess  to  you,  Helen,  that  the  most 
discouraging  thing  I  have  met  with  in  trying  to 
interest  women  in  the  Innd  question  has  been  the 


I-""  TIM:  ><>ri,  OK  Tin-: 

indifference,  the  refusal  to  give  the  subject  any 
serious  thought,  on  the  part  of  those  who  ought — • 
judging  by  their  words  or  work  to  be  the  first  to 
<-ome  forward  and  help." 

"I  understand,  Glen,  and  1  have  figured  out  that 
the  very  fact  of  her  activity  along  some  other  lines 
makes  each  woman  feel  that  her  especial  line  is  the 
one  thing  needful,  and  she  thinks  you  would  see 
that  if  you  would  take  up  her  line,  and — 

"But  I  am  always  willing  to  do  that,  Helen." 
interrupted  Glen  Harding,  earnestly.  "I  mean  that 
I  am  willing  to  give  the  same  serious  attention  to 
arguments  for  temperance,  or  child  labor  legisla 
tion,  or  any  other  line,  as  I  ask  for  a  balanced  land 
tenure." 

"Well,  but,  Glen,  no  woman  likes  to  admit  sin- 
has  taken  up  a  partial  reform  instead  of  having 
gone  to  the  root  of  things — particularly  if  she  lias 
been  very  active  for  it.  How  would  you  like  it 
yourself,  if  you,  whom  many  know  as  a  strenuous 
worker  for  the  single  tax,  were  suddenly  confronted 
with  the  possibility  of  having  to  give  it  up  as  an 
error,  or  at  least  as  not  the  essential  thing  you 
believed  it  to  be?  Would  you  take  up  the  new 
idea  and  drop  the  single  tax?" 

Glen  Harding  opened  wide  eyes  of  astonishment. 
'Are  yon  in  earnest?" 

Her  friend  smiled,  "Ojiite  so.  Of  course  I  might 
guess  your  answer,  but  I  would  rather  have  you 
give  it." 

Glen  Harding  laughed.  "Now  I  know  you  have 
.something  in  your  mind  you  have  not  told  me  yet 


A   WOMAN'S  VIEWS  201 

You  know  me  well  enough,  Helen,  to  be  sure  that  I 
don't  care  a  tig  for  any  of  my  beliefs  if  they  can 
be  proven  erroneous.  I  want  the  truth.  I  was 
convinced  by  Henry  George  that  the  land  question 
is  at  the  bottom  of  the  industrial  problem — of  all 
our  problems — and  that  there  is  no  sure  way  out 
except  thru  the  settlement  of  the  land  tenure.  But 
I  soon  saw  that  the  single  tax  was  not  a  full  solu 
tion,  for  it  did  not  show  how  to  solve  the  trans 
portation  problem — the  road  question.  Then  I  saw, 
too,  that  it  was  mixed  up  with  the  money  question. 
It  became  a  three-cornered  problem  that  I  felt  must 
be  settled  all  at  once.  That  is,  I  saw  the  problem 
involved  exclusive  holdings  of  land,  common  ways, 
and  a  medium  of  exchange.  I  felt  for  a  long  time 
that  there  was  a,  hitch  somewhere  that  we  single 
taxers  had  not  straightened  out." 

''Why,  how  do  you  mean,  Glen?" 

"Well,  you  know  single  taxers  have  a  good  deal 
to  say  about  the  surplus  revenue — they  do  not  often 
use  that  phrase — that  the  adoption  of  the  single  tax 
will  give  the  government.  I  felt  there  was  a  serious 
mistake  in  such  an  idea,  and  a  long  time  ago  I 
became  convinced  that  there  must  be  an  exact  bal 
ance  between  real  rent  and  government  expenses. 
Don't  you  remember  my  writing  you  about  it 
before  I  came  out  here?" 

"I  recall  something  about  it,  now  you  remind 
me.  I  am  afraid  Mr.  Fujita  occupied  my  mind  at 
that  time  more  than  did  the  land  question,"  Mrs. 
Fujita  smilingly  confessed. 

"I  thought  a  good  deal  about  it — the  land  ques- 


Till:  son,  ol    THK   WoHl.l. 

ti«»n  ;tl«.no  tluit  line  ..!'  n-nt  and  government 
expenses.  ;iiid  gradually  tin-  Held  for  those  expenses 
narrowed  down  in  my  mind  to  the  maintaining  of 
common  lands-  roads  and  other  lands  used  in 


Mrs.  Fujita  regarded  her  friend  with  sonic  .sur 
prise.  "Then  you  as  well  as  Mr.  \Vynn  made  the 
discovery  that  the  single  tax  does  not  solve  ill- 
whole  problem?" 

"That  is  not  the  discovery!  Don't  you  remem 
ber  thai  Henry  George  himself  said  more  than  once 
that  the  single  tax  would  not  cure  all  human  ills. 
hut  that  freedom  would?  Then  I  read  Dove's  hook, 
with  its  assertion  that  there  is  a  natural  law  thru 
the  application  of  which  the  equilibrium  of  equity 
would  he  restored.  That  is.  there  jnust  he  an  exact 
balance — natural,  not  arbitrary — between  public 
revenue  and  public  expenses.  I  often  said  to  myself 
that  when  we  had  found  that  natural  law  we  would 
know  exaetly  what  to  do  to  secure  equal  freedom 
in  the  use  of  the  earth.  Now  that  Mr.  Wynn's  dis- 
OOVery  has  brought  the  law  to  light,  I  shall  work  to 
win  its  speedy  recognition — work  with  every  fiber 
of  xeal  there  is  in  me!" 

"1  know  you  will.  (ilen.  and  you  make  me  feel 
that  1  must  keep  it  ahead  of  everything  until  free 
dom  is  won.  But.  <llen.  had  you  told  Mr.  Wynn 
about  your  thought  of  an  exact  balance,  before  he 
brought  you  those  articles  about  a  balanced  land 
tenure?" 

"Oh,  yes,  several  times,  and  I  had  mentioned  it 
in  our  correspondence  about  the  propaganda  when 


A  WOMAN'S  VIEWS  203 

the  thought  first  came  to  me.  He,  also,  had  been 
studying  for  some  years  especially  to  find  the  nat 
ural  law  that  would  place  human  association  in  the 
list  of  exact  sciences.  I  consider  his  discovery — 
measured  by  its  importance  to  humanity — as  the 
greatest  ever  made.  The  application  of  the  law  of 
human  association— resting  on  the  simple  plan  of 
a  balanced  land  tenure — gives  us  a  solid  and  per 
manent  foundation  on  which  to  develop  and  build 
up  human  intelligence  along  every  line  of  rational 
thought,  to  the  highest  and  best  that  a  truly  free 
humanity  can  become.  It  is  what  every  person 
needs,  it  is  what  all  people  really  want — and  we 
can  and  will  get  them  to  see  the  way  to  it  very 
soon." 

Her  friend  caught  something  of  the  glow  of  Glen 
Harding 's  hopefulness:  "Yes,  we  will!  I'll  do  all 
I  possibly  can  to  spread  the  news.  I'm  so  glad  I 
heard  about  it  before  going  to  Japan,  for  I  wanted 
something  definite  to  propose — and  now  I  have  it. 
I  never  felt  that  I  quite  understood  the  single  tax, 
and  the  attitude  of  the  single  taxers  I  met  last  fall 
discouraged  me.  I  found  so  many  were  unwilling 
to  discuss  the  subject  freely.  Mr.  Wynn  does  not 
seem  to  fear  discussion." 

"Not  a  bit!  He  courts  argument  mid  objection, 
and  fully  agrees  with  me  that  it  is  only  thru  full 
and  frank  discussion  that  we  can  get  people  to  see 
the  truth." 

"I  wish  my  husband  could  hear  you,  Glen!  I 
wrote  him  a  long  letter  last  night,  and  sent  him 
copies  of  everything  Mr.  Wynn  has  had  printed 


_"»  TIIK  son.  OF  Tin:  WOBLD 

about  a  balanced  land  tenure,  so  he  could  l»o  study 
ing  up,  and  get  ready  to  help  me  make  plans  when 
\\.  are  settled  at  home." 

"Mr.  Motora  will  be  a  splendid  help  by  that  time, 
in,,  ;md  that  reminds  me  that  W9  must  get  home 
early  this  afternoon."  Glen  Harding  looked  at  her 
watch,  exclaiming.  "It  is  after  twelve!  I  had  no 
idea  it  was  so  late.  I  want  to  show  you  a  place 
about  a  mile  farther  on,  then  we  will  turn  back 
to  that  great  live  oak  over  there  to  the  west.  It's 
a  delightful  place  for  lunch." 

"  'Ittle  cups?"  baby  Irene  had  caught  the  famil 
iar  word,  oak. 

"Yes,  Irene,  lots  of  cups  and  nice  fat  acorns  and 
some  long,  slim  ones,  too.  We  will  help  you  find 
plenty  in  play  with  and  take,  home,"  said  Cilen 
Harding. 

"This  reminds  me  nf  a  lunch  1  had  with  Sara 
nn  the  way  nut  here."  said  Mrs.  Fujita,  as  they 
all  sat  nn  the  ground  under  a  wide-spreading  livo 
nak  that  had  grown  on  a  rounded  knoll,  giving  them 
a  good  <>utl<M>k  over  the  level  of  the  valley  floor  to 
the  roll  of  the  foothills  and  the  ever-present  moun 
tain  baekground. 

P.ahy  Irene's  attention  was  divided  between  the 
lunch  and  a  tempting  heap  of  acorns  and  cups 
already  gathered,  and  on  which  ellie  was  now  sup 
posed  to  be  dining,  the  clumsy  cotton  flannel  trunk 
plunged  luxuriously  into  the  brown  heap. 

"I    don't    mean    the    scene    is    the    same,"    Mr- 
Ku.jita   smilingly  continued,   as  she   looked   out  over 
the    brown    ;md    irreeri    fields,    the    irreat     patches    of 


A  WOMAN'S  VIEWS  -      205 

vineyard,  orchard  and  garden,  "but  we  took  lunch 
out  doors  one  day,  and  sat  on  the  ground  and  ate  it. 
I  had  to  insist,  actually,  Glen,  tho  it  was  a  lot 
pleasanter. .  Sara  had  -a  notion  the  Indians  might 
consider  it  a  precedent  for  holding  onto  some  of 
the  uncivilized  ways  she  is  trying  to  educate  out 
of  them." 

Glen  Harding  smiled.  "That  sounds  just  like 
her  letters.  I  am  a  little  disappointed  in  Sara.  I 
thought  she  would  learn  so  much  from  the  Indians 
as  well  as  teach  them  other  things,  but  she  appears 
to  think  the  ability  to  teach  is  all  on  one  side. 
Just  think,  Helen,  how  differently  life  has  turned 
out  from  what  we  expected  when  we  three  decided 
at  that  missionary  meeting — so  long  ago — that  we 
would  be  missionaries  when  we  were  thru  school." 

"And  yet  we  are  all  doing,  or  going  to  do,  that 
sort  of  work,  Glen." 

"Yes;  Sara  a  missionary  among  the  Amerinds, 
you  an  architectural  missionary  to  Japan,  and  I — 
what  am  I?" 

Mrs.  Fujita  laughed.  "You  are  a  born  propa 
gandist,  Glen,  and  will  be  a  missionary  all  your 
days.  First,  whether  here  or  in  Japan,  to  help  get 
<i  balanced  land  tenure.  When  that  is  accomplished 
you  will  go  on  thinking  of  no  end  of  splendid  things 
to  learn  and  to  do,  and  suggest  to  other  people  to 
learn  and  do — for  the  pure  enjoyment  of  knowing 
and  growing." 

"Is  Sara  happy  in  her  work?" 

Mrs.  Fujita  considered  a  moment  before  she 
answered:  "After  a  fashion,  she  seems  to  be;  and 


L'.M;  TIIK   son,   or  TIIK    \VoKU> 

yet.  (Jlen.  she  is  missing  so  much  tliru  that  one 
sided  view  of  it.  I  left  her  my  copy  of  *  What  the 
White  Race  may  Learn  t'nnn  the  Indian."  ;md 
marked  a  paxxa.je  I  learned  by  heart,  to  keep  it  in 
my  <>\vn  mind  when  training  Irene.  There  liave  been 
times,  (Jlen.  I  coiit'css.  when  mother's  insistence  and 
the  weight  of  the  intinenees  around  me  almost  made 
me  jrive  up  our  plans — but  I  held  on!  That's  one 
reason  I'm  glad  to  take  Irene  to  -Japan.  The 
environment  will  he  too  new  to  weigh  on  me.  and 
my  hnshand  heartily  shares  our  views." 

"Yes.  Helen,  that  will  make  it  easier,  and  LT'IVC 
you  that  energy  to  put  into  aecomplii&ing  things — 
that  you  have  to  waste  here  in  combating  the  old 
environment,  lint  what  passage  of  (leorirr  Whar- 
ton  -James'  hook  did  you  learn.  L  have  two  copies 
and  I'll  jrive  you  one  when  we  «:et  home.  I 
intended  it  for  Sara." 

"Only  a  hit  on  education.  'The  Indian  basket 
weaver  far  surpasses  the  white  woman  of  college 
education  in  invention  of  art  form,  artistic  design. 
\ariet\  of  stitch  or  weave,  color  harmonies,  and 
diirita!  dexterity.  <>r  ability  to  compel  the  tinkers 
to  obey  the  dictates  of  the  brain.  Kdiication  is  by 
no  means  a  matter  of  book-learning.  It  is  a  disci 
pline  of  tile  eye.  the  hand,  the  muscles,  the  nerves. 
the  whole  body,  to  obey  the  highest  judgment,  to 
the  end  that  the  best  life,  the  happiest,  the  healthiest, 
and  the  most  useful  may  be  attained,  and  if  this  defi 
nition  be  at  all  a  true  one.  I  am  fullx  satisfied  thai 
if  we  injected  into  our  methods  of  civili/.ed  educa 
tion  a  solution  of  three-fifths  of  Indian  methods  \ve 


A  WOMAN'S  VIEWS  207 

should  give  to  our  race  an  immeasurably  greater 
happiness,  greater  health,  and  greater  usefulness." 

"It's  a  good  definition,"  said  Glen  Harding, 
thoughtfully.  "But — well,  I  wish  Mr.  James  would 
keep  it  in  his  own  mind,  at  least  the  part  about 
obeying  the  dictates  of  the  highest  judgment!" 

"What  in  the  world  do  you  mean!" 

"I  mean  that  Mr.  James  has  failed  entirely,  so 
far,  in  learning  the  main  lesson  his  life  among  the 
Amerinds  ought  to  have  taught  him.  Actually, 
Helen,  the  man  lets  his  own  'highest  judgment'  go 
oft'  on  such  long  vacations  that  his  life  is  now  one 
incessant  drive,  drive,  drive — too  busy  to  listen  to 
reason !  It  really  looks  at  times  as  tho  he  had 
assented  to  Herbert  Spencer's  question,  and  was 
trying  to  live  up  to  it!  Yet  every  line  he  wrrites 
shows  that  he  knows  better!" 

"What  question,  Glen?" 

"  'Shall  we  consider  the  total  absorption  of  time 
and  energy  in  business — the  servitude  of  the  mind 
to  the  needs  of  the  body — the  spending  of  life  in 
the  accumulation  of  the  means  to  live,  as  con 
stituting  "greatest  happiness,"  and  act  accord 
ingly?'  " 

"I  would  never  have  dreamed  that,  Glen.  He 
writes  as  tho  so  thoroly  in  accord  with  the  spirit 
of  freedom." 

"He  is!  He  has  a  strong  personality,  and  wants 
to  be  free — yet  claims  to  be  too  everlastingly  busy 
to  even  listen  to  the  one  simple  way  to  speedily 
obtain  freedom.  He  tells  us:  'If  an  evil  can  be 
remedied,  remedy  it.  Ff  a  wrong  can  be  righted. 


Tin:  BOUL  <>r  Tin:  \\<>i;u> 

right  it.'  And  y<'l  lie  says  In-  is  ton  Inisy  to  even 
look  into  the  our  \v;iy  to  remedy  the  evils  against 
which  he  declaims,  the  only  way  the  wrongs  done 
the  Ann-rinds  can  be  righted:  tin-  sol.-  path  to  free 
dom  for  any  of  us." 

"1  spent  a  week  with  Sara,  and  we  went  to  a 
number  of  villages.  The  Indians,  it  seemed  to  me. 
(ilen.  are  giving  way  everywhere  before  civilization. 
They  arc  adopting  the  ways  of  white  folks,  to  their 
own  loss  and  degradation.  Instead  of  the  white* 
learning  from  the  Indians,  they  are  training  or  Ion- 
ing  the  Indians  away  from  all  that  was  good  in  their 
own  system  of  education,  and  giving  them  nothing 
better  in  place  of  it." 

"Yes.  Mr.  .lames  admits  that  tin;  Indians  are 
being  overcome  by  the  ways  of  the  whites  instead 
of  the  whites  adopting  some  good  Indian  ways.  1  It- 
tells  us  in  this  last  book  to  learn  from  the  Indians. 
and  in  another  to  learn  from  the  desert  ;  and  yet 
himself  fails  to  learn  the  one  great  lesson  that  tin- 
American  Indian  and  the  American  Desert  alike 
ought  to  have  taught  him!" 

"You  mean  the  lesson  of  the  need  for  true  free 
dom,  first  of  all?" 

"Exactly,  Helen.  Mr.  James  knows  the  Amerinds 
are  being  ruined  because  their  lands  and  springs 
were  taken  from  them.  He  could  see  in  a  moment — 
if  lie  would  let  himself  stop  in  his  mad  rush  thru 
life  long  enough  to  let  his  'highest  judgment'  come 
back  and  act  a  while,  that  it  was  the  free  Indians 
who  praetieed  in  fullest  measure  the  .system  of 
education  he  extols;  and  that  it  is  being  jnst  jn 


A   WOMAN  'S  VIEWS  209 

the  exact  degree  in  which  Indians  are  being 
enslaved — enslaved  by  our  civilization,  our  land 
system.  The  education  of  the  Indian  and  the  charm 
of  the  desert  depend  on  plenty  of  room,  on  a  free, 
outdoor  life.  These  things  can  no  more  be  trans 
planted  into  the  life  of  our  crowded  cities  than  you 
could  grow  a  wild  rose  successfully  in  a  cemented 
cellar.  He  asks  us  to  do  the  impossible,  Helen, 
and  then  refuses — because  'too  busy' — to  listen  to 
the  one  simple  thing  that  can  make  the  life  he  wants 
—a  free,  glorious,  growing  life — speedily  possible 
for  all  of  us,  Indians  and  whites,  alike. 

"Oh,  Glen,  he  ought  to  be  made  to  see  that.  His 
knowledge  and  influence  would  count  for  much  in 
hastening  the  day  of  genuine  freedom." 

"Of  course  it  would — and  there  are  others  like 
him.  He  says  we  will  have  to  keep  at  them  until 
they  take  time  to  listen.  We  will,  too !  Could  you 
believe  it,  Helen,  after  reading  that  book,  that  Mr. 
James  could  say  that  most  people  do  not  want 
freedom?" 

"Is  it  possible  that  such  a  man  could  ever  be  so 
thoughtless!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Fujita,  incredulously. 

"It's  a  fact,  Helen,  and  I  tried  to  work  it  out — 
after  I  recovered  from  the  shock.  It  seemed  to  me 
we  might  as  well  say  that  a  plant  did  not  want  the 
light,  or  that  a  new  born  babe  does  not  want  air  in 
its  lungs.  I  asked  myself,  what  did  I  mean  when 
I  claimed  that,  whether  conscious  of  it  or  not,  every 
person  had  the  instinct  for  freedom?  What  is  it 
but  the  absolute  necessity  for  room  in'  which  to 
grow  ? ' ' 


ui"  TIII-:  soi  L  <>!••  THI-;  WOULD 

"1  think  1  understand,  (lien."  said  her  friend. 
looking  at  little  Irene,  now  playing  happily  among 
the  acorns.  "My  baby  did  m>t  make  a  speech  and 
demand  ail',  and  so  most  people  do  not  go  about 
demanding  freedom.  Hut  they  develop  toward  the 
full  stature  of  normal  human  beings  in  just  the 
derive  tliat  they  have  freedom.  It  is  lack  of  that 
ample  space  genuine  t'reedom  would  give  that  makes 
some  people  so  horrible,  and  all  of  us  somewhat 
1  \\isted  and  warped  and  crooked.  Glen,  oh,  Glen, 
we  must  secure  a  balance,!  land  tenure,  and  give 
the  children  a  chance  to  really  live!  I'll  help  ail  I 
ean."  and  there  was  a  world  of  love  and  resolution 
in  the  mother's  voice. 

"We  will.  Helen,  all  of  us  will  work  together. 
Come.  Irene,  here's  a  nice  basket  to  take  the  iOOFIua 
and  pretty  cups  home  in."  She  began  helping  the 
child  gather  up  its  treasures,  as  she  added  :  "  \Ve 
will  go  right  home  from  here.  Birdie  has  invited 
Mr.  Motora  to  the  family  dinner,  and  she  told  him 
to  come  early.  She  thought  you  would  like 
to  see  ;i||  you  could  of  him  while  here;  then  he  will 
be  another  familiar  face  in  .Japan." 

"Your  sister  is  so  kind  and  thoughtful.  I  appre 
ciate  it  and  will  tell  her  so  \\hcii  we  »v|  back.  My 
husband  was  Lrreatly  pleased  when  I  wrote  him 
I  would  probably  have  the  opportunity  to  <rrt 
ae.piainted  with  his  friend  while  here.  I  do  wish. 
Cden.  that  you  wanted  to  go  home  with  him.  He 
is  really  a  very  fin.-  man." 

"Indeed  he  is,"  was  the  hearty  assent.  "I  have 
ran-ly  met  any  one  so  ea.irer  to  b-arn  and  so  open 


A  WOMAN'S  VIEWS  211 

minded  to  new  ideas.  Then  I  have  learned  so  much 
from  him,  especially  about  the  most  ancient  religion 
and  traditions  of  Japan.  It  is  a  fascinating  study 
when  one  understands  it,  as  T  wrote  you  long  ago." 

4 'It  looked  so  to  me  then,  but  1  have  been  so 
busy  with  mother,  and  visiting  friends  before  leav 
ing  for  my  new  home,  that  I  have  not  had  a  chance 
to  take  up  the  study." 

"Mr.  Motora  grasped  the  idea  at  once,  and 
became  intensely  interested,  and  we  have  done  a 
lot  of  studying  together  along  that  line.  He  says 
that  it  is  the  only  thing  that  explains  the  ancient 
literature  of  Japan.  His  wide  knowledge  of  ori 
ental  languages  and  literature  has  been  a  great  help 
to  me  in  tracing  out  and  clearing  up  many  points 
in  the  old  beliefs  that  at  first  looked  thoroly  mys 
terious  and  hopelessly  occult.  lie  said  to  me  one 
day  that  he  was  so  fascinated  with  the  subject 
that  he  was  tempted  to  devote  the  rest  of  his  life  to 
the  study.  I  own  I  have  felt  that  way  myself— 
many  times." 

"And  yet  he  takes  a  very  wride  awake  interest  in 
the  land  question,  and  must  have  been  studying 
that,  too,  or  he  would  not  have  so  quickly  and  thor 
oly  grasped  Mr.  Wynn's  ideas." 

"Oh,  I  never  lost  sight  of  the  importance  of  the 
land  question — even  when  most  fascinated  by  the 
effort  to  clear  up  the  mysteries  of  the  past — and 
we  studied  it  also.  Mr.  Motora 's  greatest  desire  is 
to  serve  his  country  and  his  Emperor,  and  I  am  sure 
he  sees  now  that  the  settlement  of  the  land  question 
is  the  one  matter  of  supreme  importance  in  Japan — 


L'I-J  TIII:  Miri,  or  TIM:  \V«»IM.D 

;iii(i  everj  <>tinT  country.  Hi-  is  a  thoroly  practical 
man,  in  the  sense  of  desiring  to  put  a  good  thm^ 
in  operation  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  we  have 
had  many  talks  about  the  chances  of  securing  a 
rnnipletely  just  land  tenure — and  we  know  now  that 
is  a  balanced  land  tenure — for  Japan,  as  the  l»asis 
for  its  highest  national  prosperity.  I  am  smv  yon 
•  •an  ivly  on  him.  llrb-n.  1'or  all  tin-  aid  he  can  ^i\v 
you  and  Mr.  Fiijita  in  carrying  out  any  plan  that 
promises  to  luMM-fit  the  Japanese  people." 

''And  you,  Glen?     Oh,  I  wish  you  were  coni'mir 
with  him!" 


CHAPTER  12. 


IN   DENNISON'S   OFFICE. 

"It  was  Wynn's  idea,  Mrs.  Fujita,  to  have  our 
first  meeting  here  in  my  office,"  Will  Dennison 
remarked,  as  they  stood  a  moment  looking  around 
the  large,  well  lighted  room.  'He  thought  it  best 
to  get  together  those  most  inclined — or  who  ought 
to  be  most  inclined — to  work,  and  have  an  informal 
discussion  of  a  balanced  land  tenure,  and  lay  out 
some  plan  of  work  before  we  call  any  general  meet 
ings.  If  enough  show  up  and  get  interested,  we 
can  go  right  ahead  tonight  and  organize  the  Pasa 
dena  Club.  Franklin  will  preside.  He  knows  more 
of  the  men  than  I  do,  and  will  help  make  the 
meeting  more  sociable." 

"It  looks  as  tho  you  expected  quite  a  little  crowd, 
Will,"  his  sister-in-law  glanced  at  the  rows  of  seats. 
"May  I  rearrange  the  chairs  a  bit?"  She  moved 
quickly  about  among  them. 

"Any  way  you  like,  Glen.  I  had  about  thirty 
placed,  and  there's  a  pile  in  the  inner  room  if  we 
need  them.  What  are  you  doing?  Oh,  I  see,"  he 
laughed. 

"We  cannot  have  an  informal  discussion,  Will, 
if  we  are  all  in  stiff  rows.  Now  everybody  can  see 
all  the  rest,  and  any  chair  can  be  turned  a  little 
this  way  or  that  without  disturbing  others.  Every 
one  will  feel  more  free  to  speak  out,  and  that  is 


-i  i  Tin-:  SOUL  OF  Tin:  \V<>KLI> 

what  we  want  tonight.  \Ye  must  set  them  to  talk 
ing  to  each  other  as  they  come  in.  and  make  them 
iVel  that  there  is  something  doing;  then  when  the 
•  •hairs  are  pretty  full  the  talk  will  he  general.  Jack 
liomaine  promised  to  act  as  usher  I'm-  any  late 
comers.  There  he  is  now.  and  has  brought  his 
mother  and  Mrs.  Moreland.  That's  tine!  They 
will  helj)  us."  She  hurried  to  the  doorway  to  greet 
the  newcomers. 

Ina/.o  Motora  found  Krnest  \Vynn  waiting  for  the 
elevator  and  greeted  him  with,  "I  have  read  your 
papers  witli  the  greatest  interest,  Mr.  \Vynn,  and 
made  a  number  of  notes  on  various  points  uhuut 
which  I  wisli  to  talk  with  you  when  we  have  the 
opportunity." 

Krnest  YYynn's  face  lighted  up  with  pleasure 
"I'm  glad  of  that.  Mr.  Motora.  I  would  much  like 
to  he  ahle  to  reach  some  of  the  influential  men  of 
•lapan.  and  get  them  to  understand  a  halanced  land 
tenure.  I  have  written  to  the  statesman  whose 
name  you  gave  me,  referring  to  the  efforts  being 
made  to  allow  foreigners  to  own  land  in  Japan,  and 
pointing  out  the  danger  of  it;  hut  I  don't  know 
whether  he  will  pay  any  attention  to  my  letter  or 
not." 

"lie  is  a  thinker,  and  will  not  ignore  such  a  letter; 
besides,  you  write  like  Leveleye.  and  he  studied 
under  Leveleye  and  was  much  impressed  with  his 
ideas. 

"Then  maybe  he  will  give  some  attention  to  what 

I     se,,1     I,,,,,." 


IN  DENNIWON'S  OFFICE  215 

"He  will  pay  attention  to  it,  Mr.  Wyun,  he  is  a 
student  and  a  thinker." 

"I  have  not  yet  written  to  the  men  on  the  list 
yon  gave  me.  I  hope  to  have  a  paper  going  soon; 
and  am  waiting  to  follow  np  whatever  I  send  them 
with  copies  of  the  paper,  and  thus  keep  up  any 
interest  my  letters  and  leaflets  may  start." 

"It  is  not  necessary  to  wrait,  Mr.  Wynn.  We 
cannot  tell  how  much  good  your  literature  will  do ; 
but  no  effort  is  lost.  Those  men  are  all  earnest 
men,  and;  everything  you  send  them  will  have  some 
effect." 

"Then  I'll  write  them  as  quick  as  I  can  and 
have  them  on  the  lookout  for  more.  It  looks  as 
tho  we  would  have  quite  a  meeting  tonight,"  he 
added,  as  they  entered  the  elevator  and  it  filled 
rapidly. 

"Hello,  Wynn,  I've  a  piece  of  good  news  for 
you,"  was  Jack  Romanic's  welcome  as  he  met  the 
group  entering  the  office  door.  "I  found  Hugh 
Murray,  of  New  York,  at  the  Maryland  this  after 
noon,  and  got  him  to  promise  to  be  here  this  even 
ing.  He  knows  all  those  eastern  single  taxers,  and 
we  want  a  good,  live  time  tonight  to  show  him 
how  we  do  things  out  here." 

"That's  right,"  exclaimed  Glen  Harding,  who 
had  joined  the  group  in  time  to  catch  the  latter 
part  of  the  remark.  "We  must  make  every  one 
who  comes  here  tonight  see  that  we  are  in  down 
right  earnest  and  mean  business  clear  thru." 

"Wait  a  moment,  please,  Miss  Harding,"  and 
Ernest  Wynn  laid  a  detaining  hand  on  her  arm  as 


L'lli  THK  SOTL  ol'    I  III!    \\nKLD 

a  momentary  jam  at  the  (inn-way  separated  them. 
"There  is  a  woman  coming  out  of  the  elevator  I 
want  von  to  meet.  Six-  is  a  Mrs.  I.ell,  from  Colo 
rado,  just  arrived  heW  \  •'st''l'il;».v. "  »e  hurriedly 
explained.  "She  is  one  of  a  family  of  single  taxers 
I  met  <m  my  way  out.  A  fine  lot  of  people.  I 
explained  my  new  id'-as  to  them,  and  later  MM  sent 
Ihrni  some  leaflets,  but  I  don't  know  what  she 
thinks  of  tin-in.  1  had  only  a  moment's  talk  with 
hep  this  afternoon.  Here,  please,  Mrs.  Hell,"  as 
the  newcomer  reached  the  doorway.  "I  want  you 
to  meet  Miss  Harding." 

Glen  Harding's  greeting  was  cordial:  "I'm  glad 
to  see  you  here,  ]\Irs.  Hell.  Let  me  make  you 
ae.jiiainted  with  my  friend.  Mrs.  Fujita.  Pleasr 
take  those  seats  over  there  where  I  laid  my  jacket, 
Helen,  and  keep  that  chair  for  me.  I  want  to 
speak  to  some  of  the  folks  coming  in." 

Most  of  the  chairs  were  occupied,  and  Horace 
Franklin  was  about  to  call  the  meeting  to  order, 
when  the  New  Yorker  appeared  and  was  prompt h 
escorted  l>y  .la<-k  Romaine  to  the  place  of  honor 
In-side  the  chairman. 

When  the  stir  caused  by  the  arrival  and  general 
introduction  of  tin-  casern  irnest  had  subsided,  the 
chairman  observed : 

"\Ye  want  to  keep  this  meeting  as  informal  M 
possible  in  order  to  have  such  a  general  discussion 
of  a  balanced  land  tenure  as  will  enable  us  to 
clearly  understand  it.  and  want  to  go  to  work  to 
scrim-  jis,  establishment  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment . ' 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  217 

"I  thought  this  was  to  be  a  single  tax  meeting," 
an  elderly  man  rose  to  say,  with  protest  and  ques 
tion  in  his  tone. 

The  chairman  looked  around.  " That's  all  right, 
Mr.  Olin.  Most  of  us  here  •  are,  or  have  been, 
single  taxers ;  but  some  of  us  may  remember  that 
Henry  George  long  ago  pointed  out  that  human 
freedom  depends  on  the  settlement  of  the  land 
question.  Mr.  Wynn  claims  to  be  able  to  show 
us  how  to  secure  a  perfect  land  tenure — which 
spells  freedom  for  all  of  us,  and,  the  Lord  knows, 
we  need  that  bad  enough.  Go  ahead,  Mr.  Wynn." 

Ernest  Wynn  was  instantly  on  his  feet:  "As  I 
have  already  talked  to  most  of  you,  and  all  of  you" 
— the  New  Yorker  wras  included  in  his  comprehen 
sive  glance  about  the  room — "have  had  some  of  my 
literature  on  this  subject,  I  will  merely  state  now 
that  I  have  discovered  that  the  labor  applied  to  the 
maintenance  of  roads — or,  more  precisely,  of  those 
portions  of  the  earth  that  must  be  used  in  common — 
results  in  giving  advantages  to  some  locations  over 
others.  Ricardo  defined  rent  as  the  excess  which 
the  same  application  of  labor  could  secure  from 
different  locations.  I  find  that  ' excess'  to  be  the 
equivalent  of  the  advantages  just  mentioned.  Con 
sequently,  if  those  who  receive  the  advantages  pay 
for  the  labor  which  makes  the  advantages,  those  who 
labor  will  be  compensated  by  those  who  get  the 
results  of  their  labor;  advantages  will  be  thereby 
equalized,  and  freedom  in  the  use  of  the  earth  will 
be  equal.  My  friends,  here  is  my  criterion — the 
guide  that  has  led  me  out  of  the  wilderness  of  vague 


ftjg  THK   SOU,   OK  THi:    \Y<>KI, !> 

;uid    uncertain   theories:      The   law   of   equal    freedom 

That  every  person  has  freedom  to  do  all  that  va 
\\-ills  provided  va  infringes  m>1  the  equal  freedom 
of  any  other:  that  the  freedom  of  each  person  is 
limited  only  by  the'  like  freedom  «,f  every  oilier 
person.  That  is  the  law  «»{'  human  association.  It 
is  the  only  measure  of  necessary  public  activities; 
the  only  rule  by  which  to  draw  the  line  accurately 
between  public  and  private  functions.  Whatever 
is  necessary  absolutely  necessary — to  the  mainte 
nance  of  e«|ual  freedom  is  a  public  function.  All 
else  is  necessarily  private.  There  can  be  no  i'jnor- 
iiiir  of  this  rule  without  producing  inequity." 

"It  seems  to  me"  .Jack  Romanic's  enthusiastic 
youiiLr  voice  took  up  the  word — "that  single  ta\»Ts 
nujrlit  to  tumble  over  each  other  to  l)r«rin  work  foi1 
a  balanced  land  tenni'e." 

"I  a^ree  with  that."  aftirmed  (ilen  Hai'ding,  "for 
Henry  (Jeorire  pi-oposed  to  take  Lri-ound  ivnt  for 
public  purposes,  and  thereby  secure  freedom  for  all 
people.  Mr.  \Vynn 's  discovery  lies  in  his  showing 
exactly  where  the  Around  rent  comes  from,  and 
then-fore  exactly  where  it  must  <_ro  in  order  to 
secure  to  all  j»ers-»ns  equal  freedom  in  the  use  of 
ill.-  earth." 

••Precisely.  Miss  Harding."  absented  Krnest 
\Vynn.  ''It  merely  clarifies  the  problem.*' 

"I  don't  gee  how  that  especially  COncettM  single 
taxers."  an  energetic  looking  youn«r  man  remarked. 
some\\-hai  aLrLrrcssively.  "|-]vcn  if  it  can  be  proved 
true  that  real  rent  is  exactly  equal  to  the  value  of 
the  labor  expended  on  common  ways,  there  is  no 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  219 

reason  why  a  man  should  be  considered  any  less  a 
single  taxer  who  refuses  to  accept  it." 

Glen  Harding  jumped  up,  exclaiming  incredu 
lously:  "Do  you  actually  mean,  Mr.  Plater,  that  it 
does  not  matter  whether  single  taxers  accept  or 
reject  a  truth,  the  recognition  of  which  is  essential 
to  the  settlement  of  the  land  question?" 

"Well,  I  don't  see  any  call  to  make  a  fuss  about 
it,  so  long  as  we  go  ahead  and  work  for  the  single 
tax,"  was  the  quick  retort.  "You  know  that 
single  taxers  have  never  yet  been  able  to  agree  as 
to  who  really  pays  the  rent,  and  it  is  harder  yet  to 
agree  on  what  part  of  rent  reflects  government 
expenses." 

"Wiry,  Mr.  Plater,"  Jack  Romaine  laughingly 
put  in,  "that  sounds  as  tho  single  taxers  did  not 
know  what  the  single  tax  was,  nor  where  it  came 
from,  nor  where  it  ought  to  go  to." 

"That's  a  mere  matter  of  theory  and  definition," 
Carl  Plater  insisted,  with  some  heat.  "It's  folly 
to  claim  that  there's  only  one  way  to  work  for 
equal  freedom;  or  to  demand  that  before  people 
can  work  for  'that  taking  of  rent  known  as  the 
single  tax'  they  shall  agree  completely  among  them 
selves  on  all  other  questions.  Single  taxers  are 
agreed  that  land  values  ought  to  be  taken  for 
public  expenses,  thru  the  single  tax,  and  we  ought 
to  work  as  hard  as  we  can  for  that." 

"Yet,  if  there  should  be  only  one  way  to  reach 
the  goal  of  equal  freedom,  I'd  be  mighty  glad  to 
know  I  was  working  along  in  that  path,"  exclaimed 
a  voice. 


820  THI:  son.  OF  Tin:  \YOKU> 


•  So  would  I."  ajzi-'-.-d  another.  "There's  lots 
of  truth  in  tin-  old  text:  'Enter  ye  in  at  the  straight 
i:ate.  I'..r  \\ide  is  the  irate  and  broad  is  tin-  way 
that  leadeth  to  destruction.  and  many  there  he 
that  go  in  thereat.  Because  straight  is  the  gate 
and  narn>\v  the  way  which  leadeth  into  lilV  and 
few  there  In-  thai  tind  it.' 

"There's  all  tin-  moft  ne.-d.  then."  cried  .Jack 
Komaine.  "that  those  who  do  sec  the  right  way 
should  tell  tile  others  as  I'ast  as  they  can.  and  get 
them  liea.h-d  straight." 

"Sintrlr  taxers  (-..nfuse  themselves  and  otheix 
thru  their  failure  to  recogni/e  that  what  they  call 
ground  rent  includes  two  entirely  different  thini^." 
Krnrst  \Vynii  n»s«-  to  explain.  "One  is  the  product 
of  the  labor  of  maintaining  the  common  ways,  the 
oih'-r  tin-  product  of  individuals  in  their  personal 
affairs.  Single  taxers  also  fail  to  see  that  what 
they  call  land  value  is  neither  of  these,  but  only  the 
power  to  take  —  to  appropriate  —  these.  Robbing 
the  robber  cannot  result  in  equity,  whether  we  call 
the  process  the  single  tax  or  by  any  other  name." 

"Whatever  the  genesis  of  land  value,  I  favor 
taking  it  for  public  purposes,"  Carl  Plater  was  up 
;i<_rain.  "If  we  >1op  work  for  the  single  tax  until 
we  thrash  out  all  theoretical  differences  nothing 
will  be  done." 

Krnest  \Vynn  started  up,  but  sat  down  again  as 
a  stout,  comfortable  looking  man  of  middle  age 
rose  and  mildly  remarked:  "I  don't  think  1  quite 
understand  some  of  the  things  Mr.  \Vynn  has  said 
and  written.  'Tin-  Single  Tax'  may  not  be  M 


IN  DENNISQN'8  OFF1CK  ±M 

felicitous  a  title  as  'a  balanced  land  tenure/  but  to 
me  it  sounds  just  as  well." 

"It  is  not  a  question  of  sound,  Mr.  Lawrence, 
but  of  meaning,"  Glen  Harding  flashed  out.  "As 
the  name  plainly  shows,  a  balanced  land  tenure 
means  an  exact  balance — the  'equilibrium  of  equity' 
Patrick  Edward  Dove  wrote  about.  The  words 
'single  tax'  have  no  definite  meaning,  and  this  has 
led  to  that  lack  of  agreement  among  single  taxers 
which  Mr.  Plater  just  mentioned." 

"It  does  not  appear  so  to  me,  Miss  Harding," 
the  mild  voice  insisted.  "I  can  see  in  a  balanced 
land  tenure  only  an  incomplete  statement  of  the 
single  tax." 

Glen  Harding  smiled:  "A  balanced  land  tenure 
is  only  an  incomplete  statement  of  the  single  tax, 
in  the  sense  that  it  leaves  out  the  element  of  trib 
ute  which  the  single  taxer  includes  in  rent;  and 
by  that  very  elimination  it  fails  to  become  a  tax, 
but  remains  merely  the  expression  of  service  for 
service — a  fair  exchange." 

"I  cannot  see  wherein  'a  balanced  land  tenure' 
is  an  improvement  on  the  single  tax,  as  I  under 
stand  it,"  John  Lawrence  persisted. 

Glen  Harding  held  her  ground.  "Now,  Mr.  Law 
rence,  would  you  think  of  saying  'the  multiplica 
tion  table,  as  I  understand  it'?  Do  you  not 
see  that  the  very  fact  that  single  taxers  find  it 
necessary  to  say,  'the  single  tax  as  I  understand 
it,'  is  ample  evidence  that  the  words  'single  tax' 
have  no  definite  meaning?  Too  few  of  us  seem  to 
realize  how  our  way  of  talking  limits  our  power  to 


TIII-:  SOCL  <>r  -nil-:  WORLD 

lliink  clearly.  MI-  \\  e  \\ould  surely  he  more  careful 
in  our  choice  of  words  when  discussing  a  matter  of 
moil  supreme  importance  as  that  involved  in  the 
sett  lenient  o|'  the  land  <|lirst  inli." 

"Well,  tliat  is  just  what  the  single  tax  will  tin! 
The  single  tax,  as  I  understand  it."  .John  La\\ 
Pence'fi  mild  voice  ramhled  on  again,  "is  a  tax  nn 
the  value  of  all  valuable  locations  which  will  equal 
i/e  tin-  advantages  of  locations,  the  ahnlition  of  all 
other  taxation;  and  the  using  of  the  entire  amount 
of  sin-h  tax  I'm-  all  necessary  puhlic  uses;  for  the 
maintenance  of  Courts  of  .Justice;  ami  even  for 
some  public  uses  which  may  not  be  absolutely 
necessary,  such  as  the  maintenance  nf  public  parks. 
fnr  public  music  furnished  in  public  parks  and 
•  •ther  public  places;  fnr  the  building  and  main 
tenance  i,f  public  halls,  where  public  entertain 
ments  may  be  given  five  or  at  a  nominal  pi-ire; 
fnr  the  building  and  maintenance  of  puhlic.  schools, 
public  baths,  libraries  and  museums,  picture  gal 
leries.  etc.;  in  short,  fnr  anything  ami  e\vr\ 
thing  which  the  people  themselves,  thru  unbribed. 
unbribable.  public  spirited  representatives  would 
think  desirable  f..r  the  people  fnr  participation 
in  common,  as  distinguished  from  what  pertains 
to  private  life.  The  maintenance  of  highways  is 
a  necessar\  public  use.  but  it  falls  far  short 
of  covering  everything  that  must,  under  any  con 
ceivable  condition,  be  paid  from  public  mmie\  s 
Another  conies  to  me  now.  For  a  long  while,  in 
fact,  till  all  the  world  has  come  to  our  way  of  think- 


IN  DENNiSON'S  OFFICE  223 

ing,  the  maintenance  of  an  army  and  navy  will  be 
a  necessary  public  expenditure." 

Glen  Harding  rose  quickly,  her  eyes  flashing  with 
indignant  fire:  "How  can  you  imagine  an  army 
and  navy  as  existing  anywhere  under  equitable 
conditions?"  she  exclaimed.  "How  can  you  con 
ceive  of  an  army  and  navy  as  necessary  under  true 
freedom?  Do  you  not  realize  that  so  long  as  such 
physical  force  is  considered  supreme  or  even 
necessary,  the  world  will  be  subject  to  despotism? 
Even  today  there  is  absolutely  no  rational  excuse 
for  the  existence  of  war  materials — whether  soldiers 
or  war  machines — in  a  nation  calling  itself  enlight 
ened.  We  do  not  need  them  against  weaker  peoples 
unless  our  purpose  is  the  enslavement  or  extermina 
tion  of  those  peoples.  We  cannot  use  them  against 
nations  as  powerful  as  our  own  without  utterly 
overriding  what  has  been  called  'the  first  law  of 
nature',  the  instinct  of  self-preservation.  The  nor 
mal  condition  for  all  peoples  is  that  of  harmony 
and  mutual  aid,  and,  by  securing  equal  freedom  in 
the  use  of  the  earth  WQ  will  provide  the  soil,  the 
environment,  in  which  such  friendliness  will  grow 
and  flourish.  We  of  the  United  States  can  adjust 
ourselves  to  the  law  of  human  association  at  any 
time  we  choose,  in  our  relations  with  each  other — 
utterly  regardless  of  what  other  peoples  do." 

"Miss  Harding  is  right,"  Ernest  Wynn  affirmed, 
decisively.  "There  are  no  people  so  idiotic  as  to 
CV<MI  di'cjiin  of  attacking  such  a  nation  as  the 
United  States,  if  all  its  people  were  living  the  happy 
and  comfortable  lives  of  an  equitable  condition. 


BBJ  Till-:  BOUL  OF  Tin-;  WOULD 


now  they  will  not  do  it  if  we  attend  strict  1\ 
to  our  own  affairs.  In  all  my  experience  of  several 
years  among  men  <>f  the  frontier  some  of  them  of 
the  worst  sort  1  never  found  it  necessary  to  even 
carry  a  revolver.  '.Mind  your  own  business'  w;is 
my  motto,  and  it  kept  me  out  of  trouble.  Any 
nation  that  will  do  as  1  did  will  have  as  little  use 
for  an  army  and  navy.  As  for  the  other  things  .Mr. 
Lawren.-e  mentions  as  proper  for  support  thru 
taxation.  I  want  all  of  yon  to  recogni/.e  certain 
I';.  ets:  (liven  a  world  in  which  the  material  and 
forces  of  nature  yield  only  to  labor,  without  dis 
crimination  of  persons,  and  there  is  but  one  criterion 
by  which  to  regulate  human  association  —  the  crite 
rion  of  equal  freedom.  The  sole  test  must  ever  be: 
Does  it  tend  to  equal  freedom  or  to  create  advanta- 
No  matter  what  else  may  be  said  for  or  against 
the  proposition,  if  it  docs  not  plainly  tend  directly 
toward  equal  freedom  —  if  it  docs  not  lit  in  with  the 
cMiiception  of  equal  freedom—  it  must  necessarily 
tend  toward  unequal  freedom,  which  is.  and  ever 
WHS,  inequity;  and  must  not  lie  considered  as  pOMB 
Me.  The  distinct  line  between  individual  and 
political  action  is  always  and  only  the  line  of  equal 
freedom  and  this  begins  and  ends  with  a  balanced 
land  tenure.  Whatever  is  cither  more  or  Jess  n- 
sarily  results  in  evil.  That  is,  whatever  is  either 
more  or  less  than  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of 
equal  freedom  must  necessarily  produce  unequal 
freedom  and  that  spells  slavery." 

Av    KnicM     Wynn    sat    down    .Mrs.    Kujita    fot6    1" 
sp«-ak.    her    cheeks    slightly     Mushed,    and    her 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  225 

shining,  but  her  tone  expressed  a  great  regret  as 
she  began:  "It  seems  to  me  such  a  pity  that  this 
matter  of  a  balanced  land  tenure  could  not  have 
been  brought  before  the  Single  Tax  Conference  in 
New  York  last  November.  They  put  in  a  whole 
afternoon  discussing  the  terms  'common  owner 
ship,'  ''whether  of  land  or  land  value,'  and  the 
words  'land  value'  or  'rent,'  and  that  would  have 
been  such  a  fine  opportunity  to  have  brought  in  a 
balanced  land  tenure  and  cleared  up  the  whole 
problem  once  for  all.  If  I  had  only  known  about 
it  then,  I  would  have  tried  my  best  to  get  the  sub 
ject  before  the  assembled  single  taxers,  and  so 
furnished  all  of  us  with  a  new  incentive  to 
enthusiastic  work  for  human  freedom.  But  I 
suppose  you  did  not  make  the  discovery  in  time 
to  take  it  there?"  She  turned  to  Ernest  Wynn, 
who  answered  promptly: — 

"Yes,  I  did,  but  I  was  not  able  to  go  to  the  con 
ference  as  I  had  intended  to  do.  I  sent  my  papers 
to  our  friend  here,  Mr.  Murray" — he  looked  toward 
the  New  Yorker — "  because  he  knew  something  of 
my  previous  work  for  the  single  tax,  and  I  knew 
he  would  be  sure  to  be  at  all  the  meetings  of  the 
conference." 

Hugh  Murray  smiled  genially  as  he  rose  to  his 
feet.  "Yes,  indeed,  Mr.  \Vynn,  your  name  has  been 
long  known  to  me,  and  I  think  I  have  appreciated 
the  services  you  have  rendered  to  the  single  tax 
cause.  But  really,  I  was  unable  to  bring  up  your 
suggestion  of  a  balanced  land  tenure  because  my 
conception  of  the  conference  was  a  meeting  together 


TNI:  BOUL  OF  TIII-:  WORLD 

of    persons    who    believed    iii    the    single    tax.    not     a 
meeting  for  the  discussion  of  other  remedies,  how- 

« -ver  valuable  they  inijrht   be  in  themselves." 

Mrs.  Ku.iita  and  Glen  llardinir  exchanged  glances 
of  aina/ement.  and  Will  Dennison  ejaculated:  "The 
idea  <>!'  sayiiiLT  thai  a  single  tax  conference  is  not  the 
pi-oper  place  at  which  to  discuss  the  land  <|iieslit>n! 
What  has  become  of  the  sinirle  taxers'  boast  that 
they  were  the  tnie  land  reformers,  and  their  cry  of 
'the  land  for  the  people'.'  As  well  mi.irht  au 
astronomer  say  that  a  conference  of  astronomers  wa^ 
not  the  proper  place  at  which  to  discuss  the  question 
of  the  discovery  of  another  celestial  body:" 

Jack  liomaine  bounced  up  impulsively,  adding: 
"  Especially  if  they  all  acknowledged  the  dlSCOVetfer 
to  be  one  of  their  most  devoted  astronomers  and 
accurate  obsei  vi-i-s.  and  in  his  discovery  lay  the 
explanation  of  problems  which  had  been  a  pux/le 
and  hindrance  in  their  work  for  years.  Why.  any 
one  would  think  such  men  had  .iron.-  daft — to  refu^- 
to  even  consider  his  evidence,  when  all  that  he  asked 
of  them  was  to  point  their  own  telescopes  in  the 
direction  he  si i irirest ed  and  166  for  themselves  what 
was  there!" 

"Now,  L'cntlemen  and  ladies,  please  consider  a 
moment  the  difficulties  under  which  I  was  working." 
The  New  Yorker  was  on  his  fed  a.irain,  protesting. 
"If  you  could  reali/e  how  hard  it  was  to  «ret  those 
present  at  the  conference  to  come  to  any  sort  of 
agreement  <>n  the  single  tax  itself,  you  would  under 
stand  how  fatal  to  the  much  desired  spirit  of 
harmonv  it  would  have  been  to  introduce  another 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  227 

subject,  such  as  that  of  a  balanced  land  tenure.  I 
have  never  assumed  "the  single  tax  to  be  a  finality 
in  the  sense  that  once  it  was  achieved,  all  need  for 
economic  reform  would  be  eliminated;  but,  on  the 
other  hand,  I  regard  it  as  an  essential  step  toward 
any  just  social  order,  and  until  it  has  been  achieved 
I  am  not  personally  concerning  myself  with  ^what 
lies  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill.  In  a  word,  yon 
will  understand  me  as  not  either  accepting  or  disput 
ing  the  views  Mr.  Wynn  now  holds,  but  simply  as 
giving  it  as  my  humble  opinion  that  the  conference 
held  in  November  was  not  the  proper  place  for  their 
discussion." 

A  white-haired  man  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  his 
tail,  spare  form  and  bent  shoulders  shaking  a  little, 
while  his  voice  quivered  with  excitement  as  he  said: 
"Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,  Mr.  Murray,  that  I,  who 
have  worked  steadily  for  the  single  tax  since  1879, 
as  the  solution  of  the  land  question,  have  lived  to 
learn  that  single  taxers  have  ceased  to  work  for  the 
settlement  of  the  land  question  and  become  mere  tax 
reformers  and  government  machinery  tinkerers?  Is 
the  single  tax  more  to  them  than  human  freedom?" 

"Oh,  no,"  was  the  quick  reply.  "I  only  mean 
that  we  must  get  the  single  tax  first;  then  we  can 
all  cud  to  other  things." 

"You  remind  me,  Mr.  Murray,"  Will  Dennison 
remarked,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes,  "of  the  story 
I  heard  a  Farmers'  Alliance  man  tell  when  T  was  in 
Omaha  several  years  ago.  lie  said  a  man  was 
riding  across  the  plains,  and,  seeing  in  the  distance 
an  unfamiliar  object,  went  toward  it.  As  he 


838  NIK  sou.  MK  "I- HI-:  \YOI;LI> 

approarhed  ii  there  seemed  to  be  a  dark  object  on 
a  mass  <>f  white,  like  a  bu/zard  on  a  carcass.  Curi 
osity  led  liim  on.  Imagine  his  surprise  to  find  ;i 
man  sitting  astride  a  pile  of  bleaching  bones,  and 
Hopping  liis  arms  and  calling  to  the  hones  to  'git 
»l''. 

'What   in  tin-  world  are  yon  doing!'  he  said. 

'Doing,'  replied  the  man,  'doing?  Why,  I'm 
riding  Dobbin.  My  grand  father  rode  Dobbin;  my 
father  rode  Dobbin;  and  I'm  going  to  ride  Dobbin 
U  long  M  a  l>oii.-  will  liold  together.  Git  up, 
Dobbin!'  " 

In  the  midst  of  the  laughter  that  followed,  Eni'-^t 
\Vynn  sprang  up  and  fared  the  guest  of  the  evening, 
his  small,  slight  form,  tense  with  the  enthusiasm  of 
a  great  purpose,  eout  rast  ing  sharply  with  the  lar--'. 
loose  portliness  of  the  other  man.  "You  said  a 
little  while  ago,  Mr.  Murray/'  he  began,  "that-  you 
appreeiated  my  efforts  for  the  single  tax,  and  yet 
you  refuse  to  personally  -  or  otherwise  consider  a 
suggestion  of  mine  which  is  thoroly  in  line  with 
Henry  <ieorge'>  MUferttOH  thai  the  tenure  of  land 
is  the  fundamental  fact  which  must  ultimately  deter 
mine  the  coiidit  ions  of  the  industrial,  social  and 
political  life  ,,f  persons,  This  matter  is  of  too  vital 
importance  to  human  freedom  to  he  lightly  put  aside, 
and  I  want  to  ask  you.  ;is  a  representative  sinirle 
taxer,  a  few  questions,  the  answers  to  which  concern 
all  of  us.  You  say  that  the  single  lax  conference 
\vas  not  the  propej-  place  to  dis-'iiss  a  halanced  laud 
tenure.  lint  supjM.se  that  the  value  of  a  balanced 
land  tenure  '-onsisls  in  its  being  a  finality  \\hich  will 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  229 

eliminate  all  need  of  further  economic  reform?  And 
suppose,  further,  that  it  can  be  attained  with  less 
expenditure  of  time  and  energy  than  it  would  take 
to  get  the  single  tax  into  full  operation?  Is  'the 
single  tax,  right  or  wrong,'  your  motto?  Surely 
single  taxers  generally  have  not  become  so  dog 
matic,  so  conservative,  as  to  deliberately  close  their 
minds  to  riewT  ideas?  It  does  not  seem  possible  that 
the  rank  and  file  of  single  taxers  have  become  so 
irrational  as  to  be  willing  to  refuse  to  ever  again 
reconsider  the  grounds  of  their  faith  in  the  single 
tax.  Do  you  suppose,  Mr.  Murray,  that  the  firmness 
of  your  hold  upon  your  belief  will  suffice,  in  lieu  of 
logic,  when  some  of  your  single  tax  assertions  are 
challenged?  Will  you  persist  in  trying  to  climb  to 
the  top  of  a  certain  hill  regardless  of  what  is  to  be 
gained  by  the  climb?  What  if  you  should  be  mis 
taken,  and  the  single  tax  can  be  proven  not  to  be 
an  essential  step  toward  any  just  social  order?  Of 
what  earthly  use  wras  a  conference  of  professed 
political  reformers  at  which  it  was  not  proper  to 
discuss  the  only  question — that  of  the  land  tenure — 
the  solution  of  which  can  possibly  place  all  political 
action  on  a  normal  basis?" 

"Oh,  I  say,  what's  the  use  of  fussing  over 
that  conference?"  exclaimed  Carl  Plater.  "Henry 
George  neither  sought  nor  coined  the  name  'single 
tax?'  His  book  was  not  written  to  secure  a  perfect 
Inx  system.  What  he  preached  was  that  we  must 
abolish  that  control  over  the  earth  which  gives  to 
some  men  the  power  to  make  slaves  of  others." 

"Of   course   he   did,"   promptly   assented   Ernest 


230  TIM:  SOUL  OF  TIII-:  WORLD 

\Y\nn.  ''And  tluit  is  precisely  \vliat  ;i  balanced  land 
tenure  will  do  -and  nothing  rise  will.  As  a  matter 
of  fact.  I  can  prove  that  a  perfect  land  tenure 
tin-  object  Henry  George  had  in  view- -can  be 
attained  thru  snch  a  disposit  ion  of  rent  as  will 
totally  abolish  all  taxation  single  as  well  as  multi 
ple.  In  other  -words.  1  <-an  prove  that  the  fullest 
me;i>ure  of.  Henry  lieonjv's  desirtti  can  he  com 
pletely  reali/ed  on  all  lines;  as  to  the  disposition 
of  rent  :  the  settlement  <»t\  the  land  tenure;  the 
abolition  of  poverty;  the  establishment  of  human 
freedom  and  equity  by  a  balanced  land  tenure, 
without  taxation  of  any  kind." 

"If  this  new  idea  really  is  in  line  with  the 
teaching  of  tin-  Prophet  of  San  Francisco,"  came 
a  -voice  from  near-  the  door,  ''how  comes  it  that 
IIHMV  single  taxers  didn't  think  of  it  instead  of 
drifting  along  or  going  ,,1}'  jni,,  socialism,  theosophy 
and  things?*' 

Glen  Harding  rose  (jiiickly.  her  cheeks  pink  and 
her  ryes  bright.  "I  think  1  can  explain  that."  she 
^aid.  "Most  single  taxers  have  followed  the  letter 
of  Henry  QeOffe'ft  teachings,  and  it  has  le<l  to 
apathy,  half  desertion,  or  feverish  spurts  of  energ\ 

among  a  leaderless  host.  .Mr.  \Vynn  followed  the 
spirit  of  the  same  great  teacher,  and  it  led  to  the 
discovery  of  a  balanced  land  tenure." 

"The  letter  killeth.  but  the  spirit  ^iveth  life." 
proclaimed  the  voice  of  the  Hible  student. 

"Now,  see  here,  Mr.  \Yynn.  I  have  been  a  single 
taxcr  for  a  ^ood  many  years."  John  Lawn-nee  was 
a'jain  «>n  his  feet,  his  mild  eyes  beaming  pleasantly 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  231 

on  the  attentive  faces  about  him — "and  as  such  1 
believe  in  taking  the  full  amount  of  land  value  for 
public  purposes.  Hence,  as  I  understand  it,  the 
single  tax  is  an  equalization  of  privileges  thru  tax 
ation — at  least  in  its  first  principle  and  essence. 
What  more  is  your  statement  of  a  balanced  land 
1  enure?" 

"Have  you  forgotten  what  Henry  George  clearly 
pointed  out  in  Protection  or  Free  Trade? — that  the 
value  of  land  was  a  power  of  appropriation,  of 
robbery?"  Ernest  Wynn  retorted.  "It  is  nothing 
but  a  tribute  compelling  power,  made  possible  by  an 
unbalanced  land  tenure.  Further,  the  power  to  tax, 
as  the  United  States  Supreme  Court  has  said,  is 
the  power  to  destroy.  It  is  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  the  power  to  take,  regardless  of  returning  an 
equivalent.  Does  nature  give  any  person  any 
authority  to  tax  another?  Does  not  the  power  to 
tax  necessarily  include  the  power  to  rule,  to  govern? 
Can  there  be  equal  freedom  where  some  govern 
others?  Is  not  the  taxation  of  a  tribute  com 
pelling  power — whether  a  so-called  'franchise'  or 
'land  value' — the  same  in  effect  as  the  fines  police 
men  inflict  on  houses  of  ill-fame — practical  license? 
On  the  other  hand,  in  a  balanced  land  tenure  there 
is  simply  a  rendering  of  an  equivalent  for  services 
received ;  that  is,  the  payment  for  labor  by  those 
who  receive  the  advantages  of  that  labor." 

"It  looks  like  a  fair  proposition,"  cried  a  voice, 
"and  its  worth  putting  before  the  people  to  see  what 
they  make  of  it." 

Here  the  single  tax  woman  from  Colorado  rose  to 


Tin:  .son.  OF  TIM:  WORLD 

,  smiling,  luit  with  a  linn  line  about  her  lips. 
"I  \\ould  like  to  say,"  she  began,  "that  while  I  feel 
with  .Mr.  \Vynn  that  there  are  matters  which  need 
remedying,  and  I  agree  with  him  about  some  of 
tht-sc.  still  1  must  claim  the  right  to  withhold  my 
support  from  any  effort  to  get  a  balanced  land 
tenure  before  the  people." 

.Matters  which  need  remedying!  Oh,  Mrs. 
Hell!"  Glen  Harding  rose  beside  her.  ''How  can 
you  speak  so  lightly  when  the  whole  industrial 
world  is  in  a  ferment,  and  there  are  people  every 
where  who  are  looking  about  desperately  for  a  prao 
tieal  way  out  of  the  evil  and  corruption  that  IN 
daily  being  brought  to  light?  Think  of  your  own 
State— Colorado!" 

"It's  small  wonder  that  Colorado  gave  the  world 
such  an  exhibition  of  lawlessness  during  recent 
years,"  exclaimed  a  voice,  "if  the  rest  of  the  culti 
vated,  educated  people  there,  especially  single 
taxers,  think  so  little  of  a  matter  as  vitally  impor 
tant  as  the  settlement  of  the  hind  question  as  bo 
refuse  to  try  to  understand  a  balanced  land  tenure!" 

Ernest  \Vynn  rose  quickly.  "May  1  ask  a  4pM6- 
linn.  Mrs.  1VI1  ."'  he  said.  The  Colorado  woman 
nodded  pleasantly  as  she  sat  down.  "Have  you 
read  my  explanation  of  a  balanced  land  tenure 
with  sutVieient  care  to  understand  its  relation  to  tin- 
industrial  problems  we  are  all  facing — each  in  Wi'fl 
«»wn  line — at  this  moment?" 

"Of    rouse    1    think    I    understand    the    drift    of 
your    present     views."    Mrs.    Bell    answered    pl 
ainly,    but    1    had    only    time    to    merely    glance    over 


IX  DKNNISON'S  OFFICE  233 

the  literature  you  sent  us.  You  see,  we  women 
vote  in  Colorado,  and  I've  been  so  busy  the  last 
few  months  over  some  city  improvements  and  civic 
federation  work,  I  really  had  not  the  time  to  take 
up  this  other  line.  We  women  saved  quite  a  lot 
of  monej'  to  the  city." 

"That  is,  Mrs.  Bell,"  came  the  voice  again,  "you 
were  so  busy  wrestling  with  the  parasites  in  the 
tiger's  paw  that  you  did  not  notice  the  animal  was 
putting  in  the  time  chewing  up  your  own  children!" 

"1  am  beginning  to  wonder  if  we  have  not  all 
been  doing  a  little  too  much  of  that  sort  of  thing," 
said  Will  Dennison  seriously.  "We  have  been  so 
busy  over  the  little  things  that  we  wholly  neglected 
the  foundation  on  which  they  rest,  and  that  is  now 
being  undermined  so  rapidly  that  the  whole  indus 
trial  and  social  concern  is  tumbling  about  our 
ears." 

John  Lawrence  had  be,en  stirring  uneasily  in  his 
seat  for  some  time,  and  now  rose  again,  a  slight 
flush  on  his  smooth,  round  face,  but  only  mild 
kindliness  in  his  tone,  as  he  began:  "Now,  Mr. 
Wynn,  I  want  you  to,  understand  that  when  a  com 
munity — city,  state,  or  nation — acting  in  its  corpo 
rate  capacity  thru  representatives  elected  by  the 
free  vote  of  the  members  of  such  community, 
collects  from  each  individual  in  the  community, 
including  artificial  individuals  or  corporations,  a 
payment  which  will  equalize  privileges — with 
especial  reference  to  land  held  in  exclusive  posses 
sion  or  used  in  a  special  manner  by  right  of  fran 
chise — and  collects  no  other  tax.  Such  taxation 


•j.-!i  TNI:  son,  OF  TNI:  WORLD 

is  ju.,t.  'I'll"  ri.Lrht  of  a  community  In  .-..{h-H  such 
:..  tax  iti  the  way  md icat cd  is  not  a  ri«*ht  to  rob  •  »!• 
dextn.y.  'I'hat  is  my  idea  of  tlic  sm<_rle  tax.  And 
F  absolutely  and  irrevocably  deny  your  riirht  to  tell 
me  that  I  must  not  think  so.  I  have  irivcn  y»»u 
what  I  believe  to  be  a  fair  hearinir.  I  would  ask 
you  kindly  to  desist  from  seeking  1<»  convince  me 
that  my  h-un-st  tliou.irht  is  \vronir." 

(Jli-n  Hai'diiiLT  fns,-.  vinilin.Lr  briirhtly.  her  iniisieal 
\oi<-e  holding  a  eoaxitiLi'  eadenec :  "I.nt  yon  will 
not  mind  my  trying,  just  once,  will  y,»n.'"  she 
l>egan.  "Siipjxiso.  Mr.  La\\  r'-nee.  that  yon  honestly 
think  it  is  t.-n  miles  fi-om  here  to  a  eertain  point, 
and  I  honestly  think  it  is  eleven  miles  between  the 
sain.-  points.  Then  ahmir  comes  a  snr\e\ni-  and 
measni-.-s  the  distance  between  the  two  points  and 
finds  it  to  be  exactly  ten  and  one-half  miles.  \Vhal 
-becomes  of  oiir  'honest  thought '1  It's  not  a  t|iies- 
tion  of  honesty  of  thinJdnir.  but  of  ac«-ui-ai-y 
of  kno\vled«re.  It  is  not  a  question  of  opin 
ion  up  pn-IVrnice.  but  solely  of  the  discovery 
•  •f  a  fa«-1  dependiiiLT  on  natural  law.  In  the 
of  the  law  underlying  a  lialancod  land 
tenure,  the  matter  is  of  most  vital  concern  to  every 
one  of  us.  for  upon  the  accuracy  of  our  knowledge 
"f  that  law  depends  our  ability  to  live  in  harmony." 

"It  concerns  all  of  us."  added  Mrs.  Fujita, 
looking  ai-Miind  an  instant  as  her  friend  sat  down. 
"for  the  quicker  we  understand  that  law  the  sooner 
we  can  all  become  freed  from  the  weight  of  the 
dreadful  conditions  around  us  today  thru  their 
li.tal  ahnlit  ion  '" 


IN  DfJNNISON'S  OFFICE  235 

"However  did  you  become  a  single  taxer,  Mr. 
Lawrence?"  questioned  a  voice.  "You  must  have 
changed  a  good  deal  since  you  Avelcomed  a  new 
idea." 

"And  worked  faithfully  to  spread  it  broad 
cast  thru  the  newspapers,  as  I  can  testify,"  added 
Horace  Franklin. 

"You  need  not  listen  to  me,  Mr.  Lawrence," 
Ernest  Wynn  was  up  again,  smiling  and  bright- 
eyed,  "But  I  want  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
rest  of  you,"  he  glanced  about  the  room,  "to  a 
few  points  in  Mr.  Lawrence's  remarks  about 
corporations.  As  just  stated,  Mr.  Lawrence's  idea 
of  the  single  tax  involves  the  existence  of 
'  artificial  individuals,'  called  corporations,  and 
property  in  privileges  called  franchises.  Do  you 
not  all  know  that  corporations  are  composed  of 
natural  persons,  and  that  they  .can  do  everything, 
in  unincorporated  voluntary  association,  that  they 
can  as  a  corporation,  except  the  one  thing  of 
exercising  advantages  granted  by  corporation 
legislation?  Natural  individuals  cannot  possibly 
be  equally  free  when  any  number  of  them  can 
take  advantage  of  others  thru  the  legislative  fiction 
of  ' artificial  individuals.'  The  'special  manner' 
by  which  land  is  held  'by  right  of  franchise'  is 
that  by  which  some  persons — usually  'artificial' 
ones  -  arr  granted  legislative  authority  to  hold 
exclusive  possession  of  land  that  must  be  used  in 
common.  This  is  legislative  creation  of  property 
in  privileges:  and  its  sole  object  is  to  enable  some 
persons  to  collect  tribute  from  others.  It  is  a 


M  TIIK  sou,  or  TMK  WORLD 

physical    impossibility    to    <'<|ii;ili/.r    such    privileges. 

The  advantages  of  rxrlusm-  possession  of  land  can 
•  •lily  he  equali/ed  when  the  possession  is  of  loea- 
lions  which  arc  not  necessarily  used  in  common. 
Portions  of  the  earth  necessarily  used  in  common 
cannot  be  exclusively  possessed  without  that  power 
of  exclusion  giving  the  possessors  the  other  power 
of  collect  ing  tribute  from  the  users.  Kxelusive 
possession  is  a  form  of  land  tenure  equitahly  appli 
cable  only  to  locations  which  are  subject  to  exclu 
sive  use.  Common  possession  is  the  only  form  of 
land  tenure  equitably  applicable  to  those  portions 
oi'  the  earth  which  must  be  used  in  common.  Mi-. 
Lawrence's  idea  of  the  single  tax  theivf»>re  involves 
two  inequities  lioth  legislative  interferences  with 
Normal  human  relations;  the  fiction  of  'artificial 
individuals.'  and  the  tiction  of  the  'right  of  fran 
chise.'  Neither  df  these  can  possibly  fit  a  balanced 
land  tenure.  A  balanced  land  tenure  is  a  tenure 
of  land  that  is  balanced — that  is  perfect — which 
allows  no  one  to  retain  any  advantages  over  any 
other.  .Mr.  Lawrence's  idea  of  the  single  tax  not 
only  allows,  but  necessitates,  an  unbalanced  tenure 
of  land:  and  tjie  perpet  uat  ion  of  the  advantages  of 
some  over  others." 

Will  Dennison  looked  a  little  startled:  "I  had 
not  thought  of  that  phase  of  the  question.  \Vynn. 
but  it  does  appeal'  as  tho  the  artificial  persons  called 
corporations  c;m  exist  only  where  the  machinery  of 
government  is  used  to  enable  some  persons  to  levy 
tribute  from  others." 

•'That    s.-eiiis  plain   enough   t e."   (lien    Harding 


IN  DKNNISON'S  OFFICE  237 

rose  to  say.  "Civilization,  thru  government  machin 
ery,  creates  fictions  and  artificial  persons  to  profit 
by  them — but  real  live  people  attend  to  spending  all 
the  money  involved.  As  far  as  the  work  itself  is 
concerned,  exactly  the  same  persons  can  unite  their 
efforts  and  build  a  railway  or  operate  a  coal  mine, 
or  dredge  for  gold.  The  sole  reason  for  the  arti 
ficial-person  arrangement  is  to  enable  the  real  people 
composing  it  to  obtain  some  sort  of  tribute  compel 
ling  power.  There  is  something  wofully  strange  in 
the  blindness  which  hinders  people  from  seeing  that 
Tom,  Dick  and  Harry  can  do  exactly  the  same 
Avork — neither  more  nor  less — in  a  plain  partner 
ship,  as  they  can  when  called  a  legal  corporation. 
The  vastly  greater  returns  that  they  actually  get 
as  a  corporation  simply  measure  the  tribute  compel 
ling  power  given  them  by  legal  enactment." 

A  man  seated  near  the  chairman  rose  hastily, 
exclaiming,  "I  don't  see  it  that  way  at  all.  I  would 
not  tax  corporations  merely  because  they  are  such. 
I  would  tax  only  those  corporations  that  have  extra 
ordinary  privileges.  If  the  opportunity  to  incorpor 
ate  is  open  to  everybody  with  only  a  small  fee  to 
pay,  I  cannot  see  that  there  is  any  special  privilege 
involved." 

"Why  need  we  have  corporations  at  all,  Mr.  Par- 
due."  asked  Jack  Romanic. 

"So  tli at  everybody  will  be  'at  liberty  to  avail 
themselves  of  Hie  continuous  exist  (Mice  and  freedom 
from  personal  liability  obtained  by  corporate  organi 
zation',"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "This  invention 
of  the  corporation  makes  it  convenient  for  many 


THI-;  s<>n.  01   Tin:  \\OHLD 

people  to  join  in  ;iu  enterprise  when  it   Is-  impossible 
for  all  to  help  in  the  management." 

S"  you  consider."  said  Ernest  Wynn,  quickly, 
'*  'the  continuous  existence  and  freedom  from 
personal  liability  obtained  by  corporate  organi/a- 
tion*  'no  special  privilege'  over  the  discontinuous 
existence  ami  personal  liability  of  natural  persons  .' 
Do  you  not  see  that,  whenever  the  number  of  people 
who  can  co-operate  conveniently,  in  an  organ  i/ed 
way.  reaehes  the  point  where  the  addition  of 
another  member  would  necessitate  a  special  privi 
lege,  it  has  reaehed  the  limit  of  normal  or^ani/ed 
•  •o-oprrat  ion  .'  The  investor  in  a  corporation  who 
partieipates  oidy  in  its  dividends,  merely  buys  a 
share  in  a  tribute  compelling  machine.'' 

"I  think  Mr.  Pardue's  point  well  taken,  and 
that  we  outrht  not  to  tax  unprivileged  corpora 
tions."  said  a  voice  that  caused  Will  Dennison 
to  turn  around  fjuiekly  in  his  seat  and  give  a  nod 
"f  pleased  recognition,  as  he  caught  the  speaker's 
eye. 

"It's  Lewis  Dem. is.  of  Chicago."  he  whispered 
to  his  sister-in-law.  "I  didn't  know  he  was  in 
town:  AVyiiu  knows  him  well."  Aloud,  he  said: 
"I'm  ^lad  to  see  you  here.  Mr.  Demos,  but  T  don't 
I6€  how  yon  make  out  that  there  can  be  unprivi 
leged  corporations !" 

"Oli.  Mr  Pardue's  statement  settles  that-,  tho  T 
.tdmit  that  the  cnrpoi-atinn  ma\  not  be  the  1,,  st 
way  for  people  to  combine.  But  tho  point  is  that 
we  oiiL'ht  to  tax  only  'the  value  of  extraordinary 
privileges  such  ftg  ;,re  iinavoidril»le.'  We  should 


TN  DKXXISON'S  OFFICE  239 

never  tax  useful  occupations,  whether  corporations 
or  not." 

"In  that  case,"  retorted  Ernest  Wynu,  "if  'extra 
ordinary  privileges  should  be  abolished,  there 
would  cease  to  be  any  *  public  revenues,'  hence 
you  assume  the  necessary  perpetuity  of  'extraor 
dinary  privileges.'  You  thus  identify  'public  reve 
nues'  with  useless  occupations,  and  assert  the  una- 
voidability  of  such  occupations.  Evidently  you 
do  not  consider  the  laws  of  nature  as  in  any  way 
applicable  to  humanity;  or  a  sane  and  harmonious 
human  association  as  possible.  To  assert  that  there 
are  any  'unavoidable'  'extraordinary  privileges' 
is  to  assert  that  there  is  no  law  of  equity — equal 
freedom.  For  where  freedom  is  equal  and  there 
are  any  privileges,  they  are  not  only  ordinary  but 
equalized — balanced.  A  so-called  'unavoidable' 
'extraordinary  privilege'  is  an  unbalanced,  unequal- 
ized  privilege,  beyond  the  reach  of  ordinary 
persons,  the  advantages  of  which,  instead  of  being 
equalized,  are  appropriated  by  the  extraordinarily 
privileged.  To  exterminate  such  by  taxation 
would  prove  them  to  be  avoidable.  To  tax  them 
short  of  extermination  would  be  to  license — and 
thereby  authorize — them.  To  exterminate  them 
by  taxation  would  be  to  transfer  their  'value' — 
power — from  them  to  the  government.  The 
inequity  of  their  existence  would  remain  un 
touched." 

"You  don't  understand  me,  Mr.  Wynn,"  Lewis 
Demos  protested,  "I  mean  that  Mr.  Pardue's  doc 
trine  is  sound  'with  reference  to  the  desirability  of 


TNI:  SQUL  <>r  THK  \YOKLI> 

oppi.rl  mill  v  b\  divesting  extraordinary 
privileges  of  their  extraordinary  prulils." 

"Natural  opportunities.  Mr.  D$mO8,"  Krm-st 
\Y\nn  quietly  insisted,  "cannoi  In-  equali/vd  by 
mereh  'divest  m.i:  ext  raordmary  pn vileyvs  of  their 
extraordinary  proliis.'  A&  ;i  m.-illt-r  •»!'  I'.trt.  gq  I,,MI: 
;is  aiiv  privili-^fs  art-  rxl  r;i'»nlin;ir\  l!i«iir  |)i'i'lils  art- 
sun-  to  li«-  til*  the  same  nature." 

"The   idea   nf  saih-   cnnd  ,i  i,  ,iis   invi.i  vniu    liu-   » -xisl- 

eliee    ol'    sllell     tilings    as    our    model  n    n  irpi  »ra!  iolis.     is 

I'm-ei^n  to  any  true  eou,-,-pt  K.U  of  r.-al  freedom. " 
(lien  Harding  took  up  the  woi'd.  "You  see,  Mr. 
Demos" — she  glanced  toward  the  Chiea^o  man.  and 
he  wondered  at  the  sen-lie  IK  -p.-  t'u  I  IH-SS  o!'  h.-r  smile— 

"  We     do     Hot      Herd     eo  rpol'a  1  io  I  is.       All     tililt      \Vt'     Heed 

to  nial«'  ill  is  world  a  veritaMe  garden,  is  to  establish 
equal  freedom  equal  opportunities  and  thus  all 

have    a    ehailee     to    nro\\   !       'rile     lime    and     ellel'^V     We 

now  have  tc  worse  than  waste  «»ver  exl  raordmai-.x 
cither  in  1ryin«:  to  secure  them  or  in 
against  them,  would  sut'liee.  if  spent  in 
useful  work  and  rational  recreation,  to  provide  our 
selves  \\  ilh  all  the  wholesome  enjoyments  of  life,  and 
leave  iis  a  vast  fund  of  energy  to  spend  in  learning 
and  «rrowinir." 

"Thai  i'. -minds  me."  Mrs.  Fu.jita  eair.-rly  added, 
"of  a  remark  made  l»y  Krnesl  ('rosl»\  :  'iVrhapsthe 
Lil-eatesl  a<lvaii1a«ri'  \\hich  the  wa«je  worker  pOSflesse? 
OVW  tlie  slave  is  that  lie  thinks  he  is  free,  and  fiv. 
doiii  is  such  a  (jiiiekener  and  vivif\er  that  the 
mere  belief  that  you  have  it  is  a  tonic  in  itself.'  If 
that  is  Inn-  of  a  mere  belief  while  people  an- 


IN    DENNISOX'S  OFFICE  241 

actually  working  under  slave — tribute  paying — con 
ditions,  what  will  the  real  thing  be — the  glorious 
life  of  genuine  freedom  for  every  one  of  us?" 

"We  must  work  with  all  our  might  to  find  out 
inside  of  the  next  ten  years!"  cried  Jack  Romaine, 
fast  becoming  the  irrepressible,  yet  with  a  ring  of 
serious  determination  in  his  still  youthful  voice. 

"Single  taxers  think  they  are  doing  something 
now;  that  they  have  something  practicable," 
exclaimed  a  voice,  "and  I  think  that  it  would 
require  an  inner  circle,  a  sort  of  esoteric  group,  to 
educate  the  single  taxers,  and  that  your  efforts  for 
a  balanced  land  tenure  would  therefore  tend  to 
confuse  them." 

"Oh,  come,  now,  Norman,"  Will  Dennison  smil 
ingly  protested,  "don't  make  single  taxers  out  too 
foolish  !  I  was  a  single  taxer.  and  yet  I  understood 
a  balanced  land  tenure  pretty  quickly,  and  any 
other  single  taxer  can  do  as  much  who  will  give  the 
subject  the  serious  attention  its  importance 
demands." 

"I  think  Mr.  Wynn  is  too  anxious  to  make  single 
taxers  take  up  a  balanced  land  tenure!"  John 
Lawrence  had  risen  again,  his  comfortable  dignity 
unruffled,  but  his  mild  eyes  showing  a  trace  of 
impatience.  "Probably,  Mr.  Wynn,"  turning  to 
wards  him,  "you  are  right  in  your  estimate  of  1 1n 
capacities  of  single  taxers,  but  single  taxers  form 
but  an  insignificant  part  of  the  population  of  the 
United  States.  Therefore,  in  my  opinion,  it  would 
be  better  to  address  yourself  or  the  truths  you  have 
discovered  to  people  regardless  of  what  single 


l'l_'  !  Hi:   B0UL   <)!••   TliK    \\nKUi 

rs  including  Mr.  George — may  have  said  or 
written,  and  also  regardless  of  whether  your  audi 
ence  may  include  a  few  single  taxers  <>r  not." 

Krnest  Wynn  rose  hastily,  and  there  was  a  look 
<•!'  \\ondermeiit  in  his  eyefl  and  a  note  of  appeal  in 
tin-  voi«-i •  that  said:  "Am  not  I,  a  follower  and 
admirer  of  Henry  QeOrge,  just  hied  in  expert  ing 
that  all  wlin  arc  worthy  to  be  classed  as  such  ought 
to  be,  of  all  people,  the  most  ready  to  bring 
accepted  theories  to  the  test  of  iirst  principles 
whenever  any  new  disrovery  may  seem  to  make 
that  advisable ;  or  in  expecting  them  to  be  the 
last  to  shrink  from  logical  conclusions,  or  to  turn 
bark  when  those  conclusions  challenge  the  institu 
tion  of  taxation,  so  Jonjr  deemed  wise  and  natural.' 
N  it  possible  for  one  who  would  'follow  truth 
wherever  it  may  lead'  to  ask  to  be  excused  from 
discussing  fundamental  prim-iples .'  Shades  of 
ll'iiry  (leorge!  Has  it  come  to  this — that  a  single 
ta\er  should  beg  me  not  to  appeal  to  single  taxers 
in  behalf  of  a  perfect  land  tenure!" 

".Mr.  Lawrence  spoke  only  for  himself,  .Mr. 
\Vynn."  said  the  chairman.  "Some  of  us  wish  to 
learn  all  the  new  truths— newly  discovered  truths 

we   can    Lret    hold    of." 

"Yes,     indeed,     Mr.     Wynn,"     Jack     Romaine 

rt.d.    valiantly.     "Lots   of  us   will   go   to  work 

like  beavers   for   a  balanced    land   tenure — and   get 

It.     to,,." 

"And  thai  will  be  working  to  <_fet  people  to  live 
in  accord  with  natural  law,"  began  Krnesl  \Yynn. 
with  a  <piick  look  of  appreciation  toward  the 


IN  DENNISOK'S  OFF  1  <.'K  243 

single  taxers  who  were  unafraid.  "John  Stuart 
Mill  was  right  when  he  said  that  'In  political 
economy  the  greatest  errors  arise  from  overlook 
ing  the  most  obvious  truths.'  I  have  found  a 
truth  in  regard  to  legislation  which  is  obvious 
enough  to  have  been  pointed  out  before,  but  which 
is  overlooked  in  actual  legislation.  The  verbal 
formula,  'Two  straight  lines  cannot  enclose  a 
space,'  is  human  made,  but  the  fact  of  nature  thus 
described  is  entirely  independent  of  human  thought 
and  action.  There  is  the  same  difference  between 
human  legislation  and  natural  law — that  is,  that 
the  BEST  that  humanity  can  do  is  to  formulate  the 
description  of  the  laws  of  nature." 

Glen  Harding  rose  and  looked  around  at  the  wide 
awake  faces  about  her.  "I  would  like  to  explain 
the  reason  for,  or  the  way  human  legislation  came 
to  be,  but  it  may  take  more  time  than  I  am  entitled 
to?"  she  looked  enquiringly  at  the  chairman,  who 
smilingly  replied : — 

"AVe  have  no  time  limit  tonight,  Miss  Harding. 
Just  go  ahead  and  we'll  listen." 

"Originally  people,  all  the  people  on  earth," 
Glen  Harding  began,  "were — literally,  thru  the 
laws  of  vibratory  movement — controlled,  and  every 
action  of  their  lives  was  regulated  by,  divine  law 
— the  orderly  trend  of  canopy  movement — and  they 
lived  in  harmony.  This  time  of  peace  and  plenty 
and  friendliness  has  come  down  to  us  in  traditions 
of  a  Golden  Age. 

"As  the  old  environment  passed  away,  the 
direct  control  was  broken  forever,  and  the  interpre- 


L'»»  TIN-:  s« >i'L  <>r  Tin:  \v< >KI,I> 

lation  i»f  divine  law  another  name  for  naiun  \ 
orderlx  trend.  <>r  the  physical  la\\s  of  tin-  universe 

passed      more     ami      more      into     the     hands     of     priests; 

and  when  thi'  old  environment  was  forgotten,  those 
divine  laws  became  so  misread  and  misunderstood 
that,  in  an  effort  to  train  freedom,  the  people  |&1 
up  human  statutes  in  the  vain  attempt  to  eorrert 
mental  error  by  physical  force. 

"If  there  had  been  no  error  there  would  have 
been  no  religion  as  now  known,  for  all  would  have 
been  pure  science  the  reco^n  it  inn  «.f  natural  law 
as  the  one  controlling  power  necessary  to  harmoni 
ous  human  association.  In  place  of  tin-  fear  of  the 
Lord  as  a  feeling  of  terror  of  an  unknown  power, 
the  original  meaning  of  fear  -reverence  would 
have  been  retained,  and  the  fear  of  the  Lord 
would  have  shown  forth  in  a  reverent  regard  for — 
a  slrivini:  to  live  in  harmony  with  -known  natural 
law. 

"Those  tribes  as  some  of  the  Amerinds  who 
lived  in  closest  harmony  with  the  divine  law  had 
the  fullest  measure  of  happiness.  Kvery  genuine 
etVoi-t  to  understand  and  conform  to  natural  law. 
every  really  scientific  discovery,  is  a  movement  to 
iret  back  to  that  equitable  condition  which  was 
lost  thru  the  misreadm.L'  and  misinterpretation  of 
canopy  scenes  and  canopy  memorials. 

"Of  all  living  things.  peTSfffS  alone  possess  the 
power  to  live  in  harmony  with,  or  to  disregard 
nature's  laws.  It  is  because  of  the  absence  of  this 
power-- this  free  will  on  the  part  of  other  livin.ir 
things,  that  we  can  have  natural  sciences.  If  other 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  245 

living  things 'possessed  the  free  will  of  persons  and 
used  it  in  the  same  way  most  persons  have  done, 
we  could  have  no  natural  science  about  them.  We 
would  have  plant  chaos;  and  animals,  birds  and 
insects  in  an  indistinguishable  snarl  of  confusion — 
just  as  we  have  the  hideous  conglomerate  of  cru 
elty,  misery,  graft,  poverty,  riot  and  Avar  we  call 
'  advanced  civilization. ' 

"Oh,  I  do  beg  of  you!  Listen  to  the  simple  mes 
sage  which  tells  us  how  easily  and  quickly  we  can 
adjust  the  affairs  of  our  everyday  lives  to  a  plain 
natural  law  that  any  sensible  person  can  under 
stand.  Why  should  we  go  on  in  this  straining, 
struggling,  rioting  mode  of  life,  when  the  way  is 
now  easily  open  to  a  life  of  peace  and  plenty  for 
all ;  a  life  of  rational  enjoyment  and  genuine  friend 
ship  among  all  peoples?  All  that  stands  between 
us  and  that  goal  is  the  necessity  for  giving  a  little 
time  and  thought  to  a  clear  understanding  of  the 
simple  message  of  a  balanced  land  tenure,  and  then 
working  a  while  to  send  the  news  thruout  the  land 
— thruout  the  world,"  she  hastily  corrected  herself, 
as  she  caught  Inazo  Motora's  significant  glance  and 
smile. 

"It's  a  new  gospel  of  glad  tidings!  Count  me  as 
one  of  its  preachers,"  interjected  the  Bible  student's 
voice. 

"Most  gladly,"  Glen  Harding  smiled  and  nod 
ded  toward  a  young  man  with  serious  eyes  and 
curly  hair.  "There  can  be  but  one  result  to  the 
going  forth  of  this  plain  message,"  she  continued. 
"It  is  a  message  of  hope  to  ALL  persons,  rich  and 


IM«;  THI-:  SOUL  OP  Tin:  WORLD 

jMinr,  learned  and  unlearned.  ALL  will  be  bene 
fited,  and  no  niic  can  IK-  injured.  by  the  establish 
ment  <>f  iMjual  freedom  on  th«-  basis  of  a  balanced 
land  tenure." 

"That's  a  rock  bottom  truth,  .Miss  Harding!" 
•  •\elaiiiied  a  voice  which  caused  the  rhairnian  to 
Mare  in  the  direction  of  the  speaker,  and  made  Will 
Dennison  turn  sharply  in  his  chair  to  look  at  the 
same  spot,  as  Iho  he  could  not  trust  his  ears. 

"It's  .Jaeksun.  one  of  our  multi-millionaires.  I 
don't  know  how  IK-  cairn-  to  be  here."  he  whisp«-r«Mi 
to  Mrs.  Fujita.  "What's  ^,t  into  (Jlen  .'  She  is 
L!-oini^  on  a.^ain !" 

"I  am  (jiiile  SUIT  thai  every  sane  person  on  earth 
wants  real  freedom,  and  by  «r<»m«r  at  it  in  the  ri.L'ht 
\\;t\  we  can  speedily  tell  the  good  news  of  how  to 
^•<-ure  it.  to  all  the  world.  Si»mewln-re  in  each 
person  there  is  latent  or  active  that  instinct  for 
freedom  which  will  respond  to  the  call.  This  gath 
ering  here  tonight  is  merely  the  world  in  minia 
ture-  '  Glen  Harding  paused  and  glanced  slowly 
ab«mt  the  room  as  tho  eoinprehendin.ir  in  that  «»ne 
long  look  the  story  of  eaeh  separate  face — "for  I 
tin-re  are  here  representatives  of  several  race-,." 
She  irave  a  friendly  nod  toward  -lake  Harris,  beside 
the  deOT,  bwrtOWefl  a  pleased  look  of  recognition  on 
a  dark-faced  man  in  the  middle  of  the  room  whom 
Krncst  Wynn  knew  to  be  an  Amerind,  eauirht  for 
an  instant  the  intent  look  of  the  cultured  Japam-st- 
->.-at.-d  n'-.'ir  her.  and  then  smiled  sliirhtly  as  sin- 
saw  the  surprise  in  the  fa«-e  of  her  handsome 

brother-in-law. 


IN    DEN NJ (SON'S  OFFICE  247 

"We  are  a  little  world,  in  race  and  wealth,"  she 
resumed.  "There  are  some  here  who  have  more 
money  than  they  know  what  to  do  with,  and  others 
who  are  out  of  work  and  know  what  it  is  to  be 
strained  to  the  point  of  endurance  to  keep  body 
and  soul  together,  and— 

"Let  me  say  a  word  right  there,  please,  Miss 
Harding,"  Jack  Romaine,  who  had  been  for  some 
moments  busily  whispering  to  his  mother,  now 
interrupted,  as  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

Glen  Harding  nodded,  smiling,  and  sat  down. 

"I  only  want  to  say,"  and  his  friends  felt  the 
subtle  sense  of  a  new  resoluteness  in  the  tall  form 
and  square  shoulders,  the  frank  smile  and  fearless 
eyes  of  the  young  man  who  now  glanced  quickly 
about  at  the  little  crowd  of  interested  faces,  and 
began  again:  "I  want  to  tell  all  of  you  here  that 
I  used  to  be  one  of  those  people  Miss  Harding  says 
have  more  money  than  they  know  what  to  do  with, 
but  I  won't  be  bothered  that  way  any  more,  for  I 
will  put  all  the  money  I  have  into  the  work  for 
human  freedom — I  detest  riot,  and  I  don't  want 
poverty.  All  I  ask  is  a  fair  field  and  no  favor." 

"Thank  God!"  fervently  exclaimed  the  Bible 
student. 

A  young  man  in  the  rear  of  the  room,  as  tall  and 
broad-shouldered  as  Jack  Romaine,  but  showing  tHe 
signs  of  the  day  laborer  in  his  sunburned  face  and 
roughened  hands,  now  rose  hastily,  as  with  a  sudden 
resolution:  "I've  been  idle  most  of  the  time  for 
weeks,"  he  said,  "and  I  have  not  a  dollar  to  my 


Mfl  i  in-:  SOIL  Of  THI-;  \YUKU  > 

name,    but    I'll    work    for    real    freedom   with   all    my 

strength,     if     some     of     \i.||     \\ill     tell     Hie     ll«»W." 

Krnest  \Vyiui  sprang  up.  "Stop  after  the  meet 
ing,  friend,  till  I  can  have  a  t;ilk  with  you." 

.Mrs.  .Moreland.  a  pleasant-faced  woman  who,  in 
her  scat  In-side  .Ja<-k  Romanic,  had  IXTII  I  isl  ciinii: 

With      illtrrrst      In     ihr     talk.       ni.W       I'OSC       to       SU^rst    : 

"Would  it  not  In1  a  jjood  id<-a  to  try  .Mr.  Wynn's 
plan  somewhere  in  a  colony.'  That  would  give  us 
an  illustration  of  the  theory,  just  as  Fairhop,«  and 
Arden  are  so  ln-aut  it'ully  illustrating  the  single 
!;.X." 

"Oh,  no.  you  are  sadly  misinformed  as  to  those 
colonies.  .Mrs.  .Moreland."  exclaimed  (}len  Ihinling. 
"The  use  of  the  words  'single  tax"  and  calling  them 
selves  'single  laxers'  has  so  misled  the  followers  of 
Henry  Ceor^re  that  they  have  ended  by  a  complete 
reveraal  of  his  siijrjrrsted  single  tax.  Henry  George 
proposed  to  take  ground  rent  in  the  form  of  a  single 
tax.  al)olishinjr  all  other  taxes.  Hut  the  two  90 
called  'single  tax  colonies.'  Fairhope  and  Arden. 
lake  ;ill  the  State  and  County  taxes  and  the  ground 
rent,  from  tenants,  in  the  shape  of  ground  rent 
no  taxes  whatever  being  abolished.  This  leads  them 
into  other  errors,  and  instead  of  self-government 

thru     the     town     meetillir.     We     have     seen,     in     the     (Hie 

community,  irovernment  by  the  landlord  conneil, 
and  in  the  other  community,  irovernment  by  a  group 

of  philanthropic  trustees." 

Mrs  Mon-land  looked  surprised,  but  insisted: 
"('mild  not  .Mr.  Wyun's  theory  be  tested  in  a 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  249 

' 4 No, ' '  Ernest  Wynn  answered  the  question.  ' '  All 
colonies  are  dependent  upon  facilities  for  transpor 
tation  between  their  locations  and  the  rest  of  the 
world.  Every  colony  in  the  United  States,  for 
instance,  is  subject  to  Federal,  State  and  County 
legislation,  practically  all  of  which  is  inequitable. 
Tariff,  money,  tax,  transportation,  postal,  and  other 
legislation  affects  them.  The  smallest  area  to  which 
a  balanced  land  tenure  can  be  applied  is  that  of  a 
nation  sufficiently  large  and  varied  to  be  practically 
independent  of  outside  control.  It  can  easily  be 
applied  in  the  United  States,  for  when  an  enlight 
ened  conviction,  resting  on  scientific  knowledge, 
becomes  popular — dominant — there  is  no  opposition 
except  that  of  the  ignorant,  and  that  is  soon  dis 
sipated.  Hence,  to  realize  this  most  desirable  -of  all 
human  conditions — equal  freedom — requires  nothing 
more  than  the  persistent,  intelligent  and  unflinching 
presentation  of  this  truth — the  law  of  human  asso 
ciation  based  upon  a  balanced  land  tenure — until 
every  sane  adult  person  has  been  made  familiar  with 
it;  until  it  shall  so  shape  public  opinion  that  nothing 
can  prevent  its  application." 

"That  sounds  very  well,  Mr.  Wynn,"  admitted 
Mrs.  Moreland,  "but  it  seems  people  will  have  to  be 
made  over  first.  Everyone  is  so  busy  grabbing 
money,  position,  knowledge,  pleasure,  whatever  that 
particular  nature  wants  most,  that  nine-tenths  of 
them  don't  know  that  down  under  it  all  they  have 
flic  'race  consciousness.7  Tt  takes  something  like  a 
great  calamity  to  jar  them  into  understanding.  I 


:25"  Tin-;  sun,  <  u    Tin; 

guess  llu-  people  would  be  all  right    it'  the\    could   be 
educated    intelligently." 

<  >i.'  course  they  would.  Harding. 

As  a  matter  of  cold  1'act.  prisons  are  a>  capable 
today  ot'  learning  how  to  live  equitably  right  here 
and  now--as  lh<v  evef  wen-  or  .  V«T  ran  b<1.  The 
raparity  for  r«juitablr  living  exists  in  c\ci\  sane 
adult;  it  is  only  tin-  exercise  of  that  1'aculty  that  is 
lacking.'' 

"A  j;<>i»d  deal  <l«-|)t-nd>  on  what  Airs.  Mcm-iand 
means  by  bein^r  'niailt-  over'."  adth'd  Krnest  Wynii, 
Miiiliujr.  "Human  nature  cannot  be  changed,  but 
the  direction  of  its  activities  can  be.  Nearly  all 
human  energy  seems  now  to  !><•  dim-ted  to  what 
are  railed  'selfish'  ends  because  the  environing  in 
equitable  conditions  make  that  the  line  of  least 

-lance.       Money    r<  pr-'seni  s    wealth     and     power. 
Tuition   and   knowledge   indicate   power.      Pleasure. 

,-illed.  as  practiced  today,  is  usually  dissipation 
a  form  of  e\<-it enient.  These  thin-s  appear  desir 
able  because  they  are  the  pOsaesflioOM  ;md  practice^ 
of  those  pel-sous  \\lio  an-  privileged  to  compel  the 
i'e>i  to  pay  them  tribute.  The  result  is  that  both 
.-lasses  tare  demoralized.  A  great  calamity  may  jar 
a  people  loose  bring  them  to  a  standstill,  ;md 
enable  them  1o  think  -but  it  cann-.t  make  tli.-m 
understand.  Some  people  may  be  brought  to  a  stop 
in  their  mad  career  by  a  sudden  shock,  and.  in  the 
interval  of  let-up  from  their  headlonir  haste,  may 
Lr,.f  },u  id«-a  OT  two.  Hut.  undoubtedly,  all  that  the 
p«-..pb-  ne'-d  is  eidightenment  :  and  the  (piickest  way 

.,  ,-ure    that    is   to   difVuso     public    discussion     as 


IN  DKNNISON'S  OFFK'K  251 

widely  as  possible.  One  year's  discussion  of  a 
balanced  land  tenure  in  one  or  two  local  weeklies 
in  every  county  in  the  United  States  would  result 
in  making  the  subject  the  dominant  one  in  the  whole 
country. ' ' 

"You  are  too  optimistic,  Mr.  Wynn,"  exclaimed 
a  voice.  "It  will  take  a  hundred  years — more  likely 
a  thousand — to  get  such  ideas  into  people's  minds. 
I  grant  they  are  all  right  so  far  as  I  have  looked 
into  them,  but  it  takes  too  long  for  people  to  under 
stand  them." 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  retorted  Ernest  Wynn.  "It 
didn't  take  you  an  hour  to  understand  what  I  said, 
when  we  talked  over  a  balanced  land  tenure.  Who 
are  the  people?  Nothing  in  the  world  but  other 
human  beings  with  capacities  arid  needs  similar  to 
yours  and  mine.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  get  the 
truth  before  them,  and  they  can  understand  it  as 
easily  as  you  and  I  can." 

"But  even  if  they  do  understand  it,  Mr.  Wynn," 
a  scholarly  looking  man  here  put  in,  "don't  you 
think  it  is  claiming  a  little  too  much  to  expect  that 
such  a  small  thing  as  a  mere  change  in  the  tenure 
of  land  can  accomplish  the  great  results  you  pre 
dict?" 

"Most  assuredly  not!"  Ernest  Wynn  promptly 
replied.  "Let  us  heed  the  lesson  taught  by  another 
branch  of  physical  science.  The  way  in  which 
things  are  combined  or  held  together,  may  make 
vast  differences  in  results.  The  same  elements  that 
compose  air,  when  combined  as  nitrous  oxide,  absorb 
eighteen  hundred  times  as  many  heat  waves  as  air. 


TII  i:  son.  <>r  TIIK  WOK  LI  > 

Tills    Vast    dltl'ereller    is    due    In    |  lie    dill'erence    between 

mechanical  cnmbinat  ion  -cohesion  and  clicimcal 
combination.  It  is  a  IIHMV  difference  of  adjustment 
in  tlic  relations  of  ih«-  elements.  Why  thru,  should 
we  hesitate  to  believe  that  as  slight  a  ditVerence  in 
the  ad.instmeiii  of  the  relations  of  persons  to  eadi 
other  on  this  earth  is  capable  of  producing  as  great 
a  difference  in  human  affairs.'  The  Combination  of 
error  and  human  brain  matter  has  made  the  whole 
world  a  seething  hell  of  insanely  struggling.  striv 
ing  humanity.  Change  tile  combination,  by  mixing 
a  t'nndamenial  truth  with  the  same  brain  matter, 
and  the  result  will  be  just  as  surely  a  world  full  of 
sane  human  beings,  living  in  friendly  harmony,  and 
enjoying  to  the  full  the  rational  pleasures  nf  a  beau 
tiful  world.  And  the  speed  with  which  this  change 
can  be  lirought  about  is  measured  only  by  the  ditTer- 
eiiee  in  degree  between  working  against  every 
natural  instinct  of  persons,  and  working  in  line  with 
tin-  normal  desire  for  genuine  freedom  which  exists 
in  every  human  being.  Full  and  free  discussion 
will  easily  accomplish  the  change." 

"Hut  who  do  you  expert  will  carry  on  siu-h  a 
discussion.1"  asked  Carl  IMater.  ''Don't  you 
that  while  you  are  trying  to  convert  a  few  people 
to  your  idea,  we  will  be  getting  the  single  tax  into 
M|M-ration  and  do  MMIIC  practical  good  in  the  world.1 
The  single  tax  is  plenty  good  enough  for  me.  and 
it  will  take  too  long  to  make  people  understand 
your  plan,  for  it  to  amount  to  anything  for 


Kniest    \Vynn  sprang  to  his  feet,  his  eyes  shining. 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  253 

while  his  voice  rang  out  with  Ihe  lirnmess  oi'  intense1 
conviction:  ''On  the  contrary.  We  can  Jiave  a 
balanced  land  tenure  in  a  very  few  years,  if  we  go 
about  the  work  in  the  right  way.  I  am  absolutely 
certain — I  will  stake  my  life  on  it — that  I  can  con 
vince — not  silence,  but  convince — any  person  that  a 
balanced  land  tenure  is  not  only  a  perfect  land  ten 
ure  but  a  perfect  solution  of  the  problem  of  human 
association,  if  va  will  give  me  the  same  kind  and 
degree  of  attention  that  va  would  have  to  give  to 
the  solution  of  an  algebraic  problem.  If  any  one 
Avill  take  up  the  subject  with  me,  point  by  point, 
proceeding  from  one  point  to  another  only  after 
settling  and  agreeing  upon  it ;  starting  from  funda 
mental  axioms  as  universally  acceptable  as  that 
things  equal  to  the  same  thing  are  equal  to  each 
other,  or  that  the  whole  cannot  be  less  than  the  suir, 
of  its  parts,  I  will  bring  va  with  the  absolute  ccr-- 
tainty  of  unerring  accuracy  to  the  unqualified  con- 
viction  of  the  all-sufficiency  and  potency  of  a 
balanced  land  tenure  to  permanently  establish 
equity." 

Jack  Ilomaine  was  up  the  moment  Ernest  Wynn 
ceased  speaking.  "I  move  that  we  organize  the 
first  Equitist  Club  right  now,  and  get  to  work  for 
a  balanced  land  tenure." 

"I  second  that  motion,"  sounded  AVill  Dennison's 
voice. 

'/.Very  well,"  said  Horace  Franklin.  "I  will  put 
it  to  -vote,"  and  the  discussion  turned  speedily  to 
plans  for  the  Club  and  Club  work. 

''Were    you    not    surprised,    Air.    Wynn,    at    Mr. 


L'.-.I  TIM:  son.  OF  TIII-:  WOULD 

Murray's   statement   about    the    Single    Tax 
ence  net  being  the  proper  place  at  which  to  discuss 
a  balanced  land   fcenuwt"   asked   (Jim    Hardinir.   a- 
tin-    iwo   stood    to^vlhei;   a    moment   during    tin-    C0D 
fusion  of  the  breaking  up  of  the  meeting. 

"Yes,  I  confess  that  .Murray's  remarks  did  stun 
me  for  a  moment,  and  yet  I  ought  to  have  been 
prepared  for  them.  I  declare  to  you.  Miss  Harding, 
I  was  never  more  surprised  and  shocked  in  my  life 
by  anything  than  I  have  been  during  the  last  few 
months  by  the  moral  cowardice  and  obstinate  blind 
ness  amon.tr  single  taxers,  leading  them  to  ignore 
and  refuse  to  seriously  discuss  the  land  tenure  ques 
tion,  when  confronted  with  a  clear  explanation  of 
the  source  of  ground  rent  and  the  only  equitable 
mode  of  its  disposition,  with  its  consequent  plain 
and  definite  line  of  demarcation  between  public  and 
private  concerns." 

"It  seems  to  me,  Mr.  Wynn,  that  single  taxers 
are  illustrating  the  fatal  results  of  a  wrong  choice 
in  the  name  of  the  movement.  The  suggestive  power 
of  the  words  'single  tax'  has  reacted  on  the  minds 
Of  single  taxers  with  such  force  as  to  actually  lead 
thorn  astray  to  the  extent  of  diverting  the  land 
tenure  reform  movement,  Henry  George  started 
into  a  mere  tax  reform  movement,  within  ten  yeftTfl 
of  his  death:  If  the  movement  had  been  called  by 
a  name  suggestive  of  land  tenure — instead  of  tax — 
reform,  the  present  condition  of  the  movement 
would.  I  am  sure,  have  been  impossible." 

"I  think  you  are  right.  Both  thoughts  and 
spoken  words  are  actual  vibrations,  so  that  every 


IN  DENNISON'S  OFFICE  255 

misuse  of  words — the  use  of  vague  and  indefinite 
words — produces  vibrations  that  tend  to  degrada 
tion  and  slavery.  Single  taxers  have  not  realized 
this,  tho  there  has  always  been  more  or  less  protest 
against  the  name,  you  know,  among  single  taxers; 
yet  it  was  retained,  until  now  'the  single  tax'  con 
ceals  a  great  truth  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  that 
truth  appear  crooked." 

"And  too  many  single  taxers,"  wras  the  quick 
response,  "have  become  temporarily  crooked  in 
their  minds,  thru  their  hopeless  efforts  to  make  the 
phrase  'single  tax'  synonymous  with  that  great 
truth.  As  it  has  actually  worked  out,  the  chief 
effect  of  the  term  'single  tax'  has  been  to  concen 
trate  the  attention  of  single  taxers  on  methods  of 
taxation  and  how  to  apply  them,  until  they  have 
almost  lost  sight  of  the  land  tenure  question  in  the 
maze  of  their  petty  efforts  to  change  methods  of 
government." 

"It  looks  that  way.  Miss  Harding.  Mistaking  the 
means  for  the  end,  they  have  been  dazed  by 
the " 

"Mr.  Wynn,  I  want  to  speak  to  you  a  moment," 
Will  Dennison  broke  in,  as  he  hastily  made  his  way 
around  the  little  group  nearest  them.  "It  will  be 
good  news  for  you,  too,  Glen,"  he  added  as  he 
joined  them.  "Mr.  Murray  has  only  a  day  here  on 
his  way  north,  but  I've  secured  him  for  lunch  to 
morrow,  at  one,  sharp.  Mr.  Wynn,  can  we  count 
on  you?  Yes,  that's  right.  Mr.  Demos  has  promised 
to  come,  too.  I  phoned  Birdie  just  now,  Glen,  and 
she  says  0.  K.,  so  I've  invited  Mr.  Motora  also. 


Tin:  sou,  OF  Tin;  \VMIMJ» 

Mr-.  Kujha  wants  him  t'>  hear  tin-  discussion  W* 
are  sure  to  have.  Amon«r  us  we  must  manau"'  to 
irive  .Murray  and  Dnnos  some  pointers  before  we 
let  them  iro." 

"Indeed  we  will."  assented  Mrs.  Kn.jita.  who  had 
followed  her  host  Him  the  crowd,  "and  the  talk  is 
sun-  t«»  irivt-  Mr.  Motora  and  ni<-  a  lot  of  ariruin«-nl •> 
we  can  use  in  .Japan.'' 

"But,  Helen,  how  did  \<>\\  <'«>ine  to  make  that  re 
mark  about  the  Conference,  just  now.  in  Hie  nieri- 
;,,«::"  her  friend  asked  curiously,  while  Krnesi 
\Yvnn  looked  int  er.-sl  ed. 

Mrs.  l-'u.jila  laughed.  "I  hardly  know,  myself. 
I  suppose  srriiijr  Mi-.  Murray  i-eininded  me  of  my 
Xi-w  Viirk  experien<-es.  for  the  thought  popi>ed  all 
;it  once  into  my  mind  how  splendid  it  would  have 
heen  if  F  cnnld  have  told  that  crowd  of  sinirle  taxers 
ahout  a  l>alan<-ed  land  tenure,  and  so  Driven  the  eon- 
ferenCC  a  irlorious  incentive  to  energetic  work  —  and 
f  jumped  up  to  speak  l>efon>  T  fairly  thouirht.  then 
1  had  to  po  on.  I'm  pi  ad  T  did.  for  otherwis<-  we 
niiirht  not  have  learned  what  strange  i.h-as  soue 
taxei-s  now  hold." 

a-recd  Krnost  AVynn.  "the  talk  that  fol 
lowed  has  made  several  things  ch-;ir  to  me.  and  I 
will  lie  that  much  Letter  prepared  I'm-  my  work.' 

"Still."  Mrs.  Kujita  said,  with  insistent  lonirinir. 
"I  do  wish.  Mr.  Wynn.  that  you  could  have  been 

at     the    cnnfereli 

"So   do   1."   was   the   ready    response,        "T  had 

planned  t"  he  there,  and  was.  in  fact,  about  two 
weeks  ln-1'iire  the  conference  date,  as  far  east  a^ 


IX   1)  FA' XI  SOX'S  OFFICE  257 

Cincinnati,  mission  arizing  along;;  when  my  father 
wired  me  to  come  home ;  that  my  mother  was  very 
sick.  Of  course  I  went  back  at  once— I  had  not  been 
home  for  several  months.  I  found  my  mother  very 
ill,  and  needing  me,  so  that  I  could  not  leave  her. 
As  soon  as  I  saw  that  I  could  not  get  to  New  York 
I  wrote  to  Hugh  Murray  and  sent  him  a  brief  state 
ment  about  my  discovery  of  how  to  have  a  balanced 
laud  tenure,  asking  him  to  bring  the  subject  before 
the  conference.  Then,  for  two  weeks  I  had  neither, 
time  nor  mind  for  anything  but  my  mother.  The 
last  ten  days  I  was  hardly  away  from  her  bedside. 
She  suffered  terribly  and  no  one  else  seemed  to  suit 
her,  as  a  nurse.  She  died  the  secorfd  day  of  the 
conference." 

"Oh.  I'm  so  sorry  for  you,  Mr.  Wynn,"  ox- 
claimed  Mrs.  Fujita,  while  Glen  Hoarding's  quick 
glance  of  sympathy  held  more  of  feeling  than  her 
friend's  words,  tho  she  only  said:— 

"Then  it  was  too  late  to  go  east?" 

"Yes,  it  seemed  so.  1  had  to  stay  home  several 
weeks,  helping  father  settle  up  business  matters. 
Then  I  started  west,  hunting  for  live  single  taxers — 
and  you  know  how  I  found  them  at  last,"  he  smil 
ingly  concluded. 


CHAPTER  1 ::. 

TWO  OPINIONS 

"Well.  Uirdie.  win.  are  to  be  invited  in  our 
dinner  party  tills  time  :" 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Denni.son  were  alone  on  ihe  up 
stairs  pergola.  Tin-  warm  June  sunshine,  tillering 
thru  the  vines,  made  spots  of  shining  gold  on  Mr-. 
Dennison's  fair  hair  as  she  sat,  considering. 

"Jt  must  be  in  the  early  afternoon,  on  account 
of  Madam  Wortley.  and  not  ton  large,"  she  said. 

"Yes,  liirdie,  that's  my  idea.  Just  a  few  nice 
people  that  Mrs.  Fu.jita  will  like  to  meet — or  see 
again — and  that  Madam  Wortley  can  enjoy  without 
fatigue.  It's  a  great  thing  that  you  and  Glen  suc 
ceeded  in  coaxing  IMT  to  come.  When  a  woman  of 
her  age  takes  a  live  interest  in  work  for  the  good 
of  humanity  and  shows  sueli  a  bright  mind  and  keen 
sympathy,  it  net*  on  me  like  a  tonic — or  an  inspira 
tion.  I  think  she  will  like  Wynn." 

"Then  we  must  invite  Mr.  \Vynn  to  this  dinner?" 

"Certainly.  I  want  him  to  meet  Morgan,  and 
tli is  will  be  a  good  chance  to  bring  them  together, 
and  maybe  open  the  way  to  enlist  Morgan  in  the 
propaganda." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  expect  to  do  that,  Will, 
when  yon  know  that  most  <.f  his  fortune  is  invested 
in  real  estate." 


TWO  OPINIONS  259 

"I  know,  but  he's  inclined  to  the  single  tax  and 
has  done  some  good  work  for  the  people." 

"Very  well;  then  I'll  put  down  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Morgan." 

"And  Motora,  we  must  have  him." 

"Of  course.  I  don't  wonder  that  the  Japanese 
are  making  such  a  stir  in  the  world,  if  there  are 
many  of  them  like  Mr.  Motora." 

"Birdie"-— Will  Dennison  looked  over  the  parapet 
on  which  he  was  leaning  and  surveyed  the  garden. 
It  was  quiet  and  empty,  and  he  continued,  in  a 
lowered  tone — "do  you  think  we  are  to  have  him 
in  the  family?" 

His  wife  smiled:  "Sometimes  I  think  so,  and 
then  again  I  don't — it  is  hard  to  tell  what  Glen  will 
do.  I  know  she  admires  and  likes  him,  but  mayb^ 
not  in  that  way.  Then  there  is  Mr.  Wynn." 

' '  Wynn !  Why,  Birdie  !  You  don 't  suppose  Glen 
thinks  of  him?  He  is  so  absorbed  in  his  work  for 
freedom  that  he  has  no  thought  for  anything  else. 
He  is  not  a  bit  sentimental.  I  don't  believe  there 
is  a  grain  of  sentiment  in  him.  He  romps  with  the 
children  as  readily  as  he  talks  with  Glen — and  he 
never  talks  anything  but  propaganda  to  her,  any 
way,  seems  to  me." 

His  wife  looked  at  him  thoughtfully:  "There  are 
some  women.  Will,  who  enjoy  a  genuine,  frank 
comradeship  more  than  what  is  ordinarily  considered 
love-making.  Anyway,  whether  Glen  thinks  of  Mr. 
Wynn  or  not,  I  am  quite  sure  Mr.  Wynn  thinks 
very  seriously  and  constantly  of  Glen.  But  we 


Ml  Tin:  SOUL  or  TIM-:  \\ « >KLI> 

iiiusl  Lr«-t  on  with  our  list  it'  there  an-  to  In-  more. 
I  have  five  names  now." 

"How   ;d>mit    .Mrs.    Romanic   and   .lack." 

"Pine!  .Madam  Wortley  likes  Mrs.  Ivomaine.  and 
•  lark  is  always  agreeable  company." 

"Yes.  that  lie  is.  and  now  Wynn's  energy  and 
flit  hnsiasin  st-cin  to  have  inspired  him.  lie  worked 
hard  to  help  m-t  out  the  single  taxers  for  our  meet - 
inir.  and  is  now  putting  all  his  energy  into  pushing 
our  K«|uitist  (flul)-aud  that  reminds  me:  -lack  wafl 
in  the  office  this  iiiornin.ir  and  mentioned  that  a  col 
lege  chum  of  his  was  sloppinjr  with  them  a  few  da\  s 
on  his  way  to  Alaska.  Jack  has  heen  trying  tb 
interest  him  in  a  balane.-d  land  tenure,  lull  sa\s 
Uriiee  Krieson  that's  his  iiann1.  and  lie  is  several 
years  older  than  .Jaek — is  an  ardent  socialist.  Tie 
is  a,  jrreat  admirer  of  l'i)ton  Sinclair  and  thinks  his 
Industrial  l\epid»lic  the  finest  t  liinjr  «»ut .  Il<-  knows 
lots  of  it  1>\  heart,  and  -lack  says  it's  irreat  to  hear 
him  rattle  it  ofV.  We  must  have  him  at  the  dinner 
and  see  how  \Vynn  comes  out  in  an  argument  with 
an  u|>-to-date  socialist." 

"Evidently  we  are  to  have  a  sociological  dinner! 
I  wonder  if  I  had  better  mention  it  in  the  invita 
tions.1"  said  Mrs.  Dennison.  smiling,  as  she  added 
I'.riice  Krieson  \  name  to  the.  list.  "I  know  Madam 
\Vortlcy  will  heartily  enjoy  hearing  them  talk,  and 
I  may  learn  somet  hiu.i:.  Honestly.  Will.  I'm  actually 
L"Mtin«r  interested  in  listeninir  1«>  Mr.  Wynn.  and  I 
really  think  he  would  n«>l  be  a  bad  s"H  of  brother, 
if  (lie,, 

"Oh.    eniiie    no\\.     I'.irdie."    interrupted     her    hus 


TWO  OPINIONS  261 

band,  "I'll  admit  that  Wynn  is  a  good  fellow.  I 
like  him  myself.  But  I'm  quite  sure  you  are  off  in 
thinking  he  cares  particularly  for  Glen.  Just  think 
how  different  he  is  from  those  other  men !  Tremont 
is  entirely  devoted — whenever  he  gets  a  chance  to 
be%  Motora  shows  the  height  of  polite  chivalry  in 
every  act,  and  it's  perfectly  plain  that  he  looks  on 
Glen  as  a  sort  of  superior  being.  A  woman  likes 
that.  Wynn  does  not  show  a  bit  of  that  sort  of  feel 
ing.  He  talks  to  Glen  just  as  he  does  to  me,  or  to 
Jack  Romaine.  He  does  not  strike  me  as  at  all  the 
kind  of  man  likely  to  marry." 

"He  will  not  marry  an  ordinary  woman;  but  Glen 
would  just  suit  him,  and  I  am  quite  sure  he  wants 
her — tho  I  don't  know  how  she  feels.  Mr.  Motora 
is  such  a  fine  man,  too." 

"Wynn  has  no  chance  against  either  of  those  men, 
Birdie.  A  woman  likes  a  man  who  realizes  her 
fineness  and  superiority,  and  who  feels  that  she  is 
to  be  carefully  guarded  and  protected.  Wynn 
shows  nothing  like  that.  He  treats  Glen  as  merely 
his  equal!"  * 

Mrs.  Dennison  looked  off  a  moment  across  the 
Arroyo.  Was  it  to  hide  a  certain  wistful  longing 
in  her  eyes?  But  she  only  said,  quietly:  "So  you 
have  noticed  that,  too?" 

"Yes,  Wynn  has  not  a  particle  of  sentiment,  Bir 
die.  His  whole  heart  and  soul  are  in  his  propaganda 
work.  He  does  not  think  of  anything  else." 

"Mr.  Motora  is  deeply  interested  in  sociology, 
too,  Will.  He  was  here  for  a  long  call  on  Helen 
this  morning,  while  Glen  was  busy  in  the  garden. 


Lr,_'  Till-:   sol  L  <>T  THK    \\<>KLl> 


tin-in    talking   about    ways   to   get   tin-    Km- 
peror's  attention   to   Mr.    W  vim's  discovery." 

"That   would   be   a  big  thing,   Birdie.        I   hope 
they'll  succeed." 

"Did  you  kn«»w.  Will,  that  all  the  Japanese  names 
mean  somethini:.'  Helen  told  me  this  morning,  after 
Mi-.  Motnra  l.-ft.  It's  so  interest  in-:  ;  ghe  say> 
Fujila  means  wistaria  field-  and  that  brings  to  one's 
mind  such  masses  of  ]o\.-ly  purple  bloom.  You 
know  they  have  .uardens  full  of  wistaria  in  Japan." 
"How  about  Motora.'  His  name  mean  any 
thing?" 

"Yes,  indeed.  Helen  says  Ina/.o  means  a  producer 
,,r  farmer;  and  that  .Motora  is  original  jrood.  <!U-n 
c.niic  in  .just  then  and  she  said  Mr.  Motora  's  name 
was  vei-y  appropriali-.  iM-.-jnise  In-  is  now  busy  writ 
ing  pr.Miin-injr.  (JN-n  said  a  book  about  original 
VI." 

"What  in  the  world  is  that?" 
"1  don't  know.  Will,  but   I  think  it  has  something 
lo  do  with  the  ..Id  pa-anism  that  Glen  calls  'ancient 
religion.'      lint    1    can    Bee    that    she    enjoys    studying 
with   Mr.   Motora." 

"It  looks  as  tho  his  chances  ol'  winning  <Ilen  ar«- 
prrtt\  strong,  liirdie.  ]',nt  let's  «r,-t  on  with  our 
list."  He  ^rlaiK-rd  at  his  watch.  "I  have  only  live 
minutes  more.  Any  others?" 

<>,!•'  morr.  I).,  you  know  if  Dr.  Lloyd  has  OOJD3 
horn.,  yet  .'  He  was  an  intimate  t'n.  nd  of  Mr.  Os 
mond's,  and  Helen  wants  very  much  to  see  him. 
She  lias  not  seen  him  for  y.- 

••1     wish     I'd    knaWJl    that     \\hen    I    saw    him    this 


TWO  OPINIONS  263 

morning.  He  had  just  come  back.  However,  I'll 
phone  him  from  the  office  if  1  don't  see  him  on  my 
way  down.  Can  I  tell  him  Mrs.  Fujita  will  be  home 
tomorrow?" 

"Yes,  until  towards  evening.  They  are  going  up 
to  the  Observatory  with  Jack,  if  the  sky  is  clear. 
Tell  Dr.  Lloyd,  too,  that  I  tried  twice  to  get  him 
on  the  phone  this  morning." 

"He  was  at  the  Maryland,  his  folks  are  all  at  the 
beach.  I'll  get  him,  or  see  him.  and  tell  him  about 
Mrs.  Fujita.  Good  bye,  dear."  He  snatched  a  hasty 
kiss,  and  was  off. 

Left  alone,  Mrs.  Dennison  sat  a  little  time  looking 
thoughtfully  off  over  the  hills,  now  turning  to  their 
summer  brown  under  the  glow  of  the  warm  sun 
shine — for  the  day  was  so  bright  and  fair!  She 
smiled  happily  as  the  sound  of  merry  voices  and 
children's  laughter  came  to  her  from  the  garden; 
then  there  was  a  quick  rush  of  little  feet  on  the 
cement  walk,  and  the  call  came  up:  "Mama, 
Mama!" 

She  looked  over  the  railing  into  the  bright  little 
upturned  faces  of  Merwyn  and  Fay.  "What  is  it. 
dears?" 

"Mrs.  Moreland  and  Jack  Romaine  have  come," 
began  Merwyn,  "and — 

"And  'nother  lady,  Mama,"  finished  Fay. 

"We  don't  know  her,  Mama,"  explained  Merwyn. 

"Auntie  Glen  said  to  call  you,  Mama,  so  we  did," 
concluded  Fay. 

"That  was  right,  dears.  Now  run  back  and  tell 
them  Mama  will  be  down  in  a  minute."  She  started 


Ml  TIM:  SOUL  MI    THE  WORLD 


up.  then  paused.  niul  a  urreat  l«»ve  slp-m-  m  her 
a.s  she  watched  tin-  little  OBtifl  raee  away  around  the 
(•(truer  of  the  house.  "For  the  sake  of  the  children 
1  must  learn  all  1  can."  she  thought,  as  she  went 
toward  the  stairs,  stopping  before  the  loner  mirror 
in  her  room  to  see  that  hair  and  «rown  were  in  per 

fect      order. 

She  found  the  visitors,  with  her  sister  and  Mrs. 
Fujita.  in  the  pleasant  front  pergola. 

"My  friend  is  interested  in  sociology.  Miss  llard- 
iiiLr.  so  I  brought  her  ovei1  to  see  you.  It's  too  bad 
we  were  out  when  Mrs.  Dennison  called  the  other 
day."  Mrs.  Morcland  was  saying.  "Oh-  --.Mrs.  Den 
nison.  my  friend.  Mrs.  Hums,  from  Iowa." 

Mrs.  Dennison  irave  the  iciest  a  cordial  «:ivei  inir. 
"I'm  Licttinir  a  little  interested  in  sociology  myself. 
since  Mr.  Wynn  has  come  amon<r  us."  she  n-fnarUi-d. 

"Isn't  lie  L'l-eat!"  ci-ied  .lack  Komaine.  enthu 
siastically.  "I  want  you  to  join  our  Club.  Mrs.  |)eii- 
nison." 

"Not  yet,  -lack."  she  shook  her  fair  head  at  him 
and  smiled  indulgently.  "I  must  know  a  ^ood  deal 
more  before  I  join  any  sociological  dubs." 

".lack  is  fairly  carried  away,  and  wants  to  put 
himself  and  all  he  has  into  helping  Mi".  Wynn  spread 
the  id.  -a.  I  think  that  is  «r,,in«r  too  far.  don't  you? 
Mrs.  Dennison."  queried  Mrs.  Moreland. 

"Tell  Aunt  Kate  she  oiJLrht  to  be  dad  1  have  an 
object  worth  living  for  now.  Mrs.  Dennison." 

"I'm  heartily  i:iad  of  it.  .lack."  (ilen  Harding 
exclaimed,  before  her  Itttex  could  reply. 

"Mr.   Komaine  has  hem  trying  to  make  me  under- 


TWO  OPINIONS  265 

stand  this  new  idea,  Miss  Harding,  but  I'm  afraid 
it's  too  new  yet  to  me,"  observed  Mrs.  Burns. 
"Indeed,  I  never  thought  anything  about  such 
things — I  mean,  that  I  could  do  anything  to  help 
change  public  matters — until  a  short  time  before  I 
left  home.  My  home  is  in  a  country  town  where 
we  almost  vegetate  along,  but  a  few  weeks  ago  a 
man  lectured  before  our  Chautauqua  Circle,  in  the 
interests  of  the  forests.  He  said  we  must  save  them 
before  it  is  too  late." 

"Indeed  we  must,"  assented  Glen  Harding,  "but 
that  is  only  one  of  the  many  things  that  need  to  be 
done." 

"I  realize  something  of  that  whenever  I  read  the 
big  city  papers,  but  I  never  thought  I  could  do  any 
thing  until  I  heard  that  man  talk.  Surely  it  is  a 
great  thing,  Miss  Harding,  wrhen  so  many  of  us 
'common  people,'  not  only  in  my  town  but  in  hun 
dreds  of  others,  can  hear  such  men  tell  us  facts  we 
knew,  but  had,  accepted  as  a  necessary  thing  because 
we  thought  we  could  not  change  things,  and  have 
them  tell  us  that  public  opinion  counts,  and  that  we 
are  the  public." 

"Blessings  on  that  man  and  all  like  him!"  ex 
claimed  Glen  Harding,  fervently.  "Did  you  hear, 
Jack,  how  the  forest  service  is  preparing  the  way 
for  us?  If  they  can  only  get  the  people  in  the 
towns  and  small  cities — and  the  country  people — to 
realize  that  they  are  the  public,  and  that  there  is  no 
power  on  earth  stronger  than  public  opinion,  they 
will  make  it  easy  for  us  to  show  the  same  people 
how  surely  and  quickly  a  balanced  land  tenure  can 


•_'<;<;  THI-:  son,  or  Till-    WORLD 

In-  established,  thru  tin-   power  <>t'  intelligent    public 

opinion. M 

"Thai  man  set  me  thinking."  Mrs.  Burns  went 
<»n.  "I  had  been  trying  to  do  sonic  good  along  'New 
Thought'  lines.  For  awhile  I  agreed  with  Elizabeth 
Townr  thai  there  could  be  no  greater  work  than  to 
help  and  heal  the  sick  and  suffering  about  me.  and 
I  devoted  myself  to  that." 

"I  understand  that  feeling  perfectly,"  said  Glen 
Harding,  "for  I  felt  that  way  myself  before  1  saw 
the  greater  light  and  realized  that  it  was  a  far 
nobler  work,  and  more  useful,  to  remove  the  cause- 
to  so  change  conditions  that  there  would  be  no  siu-h 
snfiVring  to  relieve — only  joy  to  share  together;  the 
joy  of  living  as  free,  growing  creatures." 

"I  don't  see  how  we  are  going  to  get  anything 
like  that,"  put  in  Mrs.  Moreland.  "Just  think  of 
the  masses  of  poor,  ignorant  people  in  every  city. 
How  can  they  be  helped?  Even  among  ourselves 
there  is  a  lot  of  unhappiness  and  sham.  We  have 
to  pretend  to  enjoy  a  lot  of  tilings  we  don't  care  a 
straw  for — or  even  actually  dislike." 

"I'm  going  to  quit  that,  Aunt  Kate,  and  be  in 
earnest,  like  Mr.  Wynn."  said  her  nephew,  his  boy 
ish  face  glowing  with  a  high  resolve. 

Glen  Harding  gave  him  a  glance  of  strong  ap 
proval,  as  she  turned  to  Mrs.  Mnn-land.  "The  very 
fact  that  all — rich  and  poor — are  living  such 
unnatural  lives,  proves  that  the  trouble  is  universal 
and  not  a  matter  of  individual  character,  or  even 
anv  so. called  class.  The  whole  brood  of  evil  comes 


TWO  OPINIONS  267 

from  the  creation  of  property  in  privileges,  based 
on  an  unbalanced  land  tenure." 

4 'That  may  be,  but  I  don't  see  how  you  are  going 
to  get  people  to  understand;  it's  so  hard  to  make 
them  listen  to  anything  worth  while,"  persisted 
Mrs.  Moreland. 

"I  found  a  bit  of  encouragement  this  morning,  in 
an  address  by  the  President  of  the  Simplified  Spell 
ing  Board,"  observed  Mrs.  Fujita,  smiling.  "It 
seems  to  me  something  like  preparing  the  way,  in 
the  minds  of  students  of  sociology  and  professors 
of  economics,  for  the  reception  of  a  balanced  land 
tenure.  Shall  I  read  it  to  you?"  She  looked  about, 
and  the  others  nodded,  some  interest  and  curiosity 
showing  in  their  faces.  "Please  hand  me  that  white 
pamphlet,  Mr.  Romaine,  that's  it,  the  top  one,"  as 
he  turned  to  a  nearby  stand  covered  with  magazines 
and  papers.  "Here  is  the  item.  Now  just  listen 
and  see  how  well  it  fits  the  work  we  have  to  do : 
'There  is  still  another  way  in  which  we  have  reason 
to  congratulate  ourselves  upon  the  advance  which 
has  been  made.  A  subsidiary,  tho  by  no  means  un 
important,  function  of  this  organization  is  the 
propagation  of  intelligence  among  the  educated 
classes.  This  is  a  task  peculiarly  trying  and  difficult. 
It  is  no  easy  matter  to  enlighten  the  illiterate.  But 
with  them,  after  all,  you  have  a  blank  page.  They 
not  only  do  not  know  anything  of  this  particular 
matter,  they  are  aware  of  the  fact  that  they  do  not 
know  anything.  This  self-consciousness  is  denied 
to  the  educated.  In  consequence,  with  them  a  stub 
born  crust  of  misapprehension  and  misinformation, 


268  TIIK  SOUL  OF  'nir.  WORLD 

with  the  violent  prejudices  engendered  of  their  com 
bination,  has  first  to  be  removed.  It  is  only  by  slow 
degrees  that  it  dawns  upon  their  perceptions  that 
they  know  nothing  about  a  subject  of  which  they 
fancied  they  knew  everything'." 

"That  is  encouraging,  Helen,  and  I'm  glad  you 
found  it,"  said  her  friend,  seriously.  "When  once 
the  educated  classes  become  intelligent,  the  way  to 
equal  freedom  will  be  opened  wide." 

"But  does  it  not  seem  to  yon.  Miss  Harding,  that 
the  world  is  gradually  growing  better?"  asked  Mrs. 
Burns.  "Just  think  how  mueh  kinder  people  are 
today  than  they  used  to  be." 

Glen  Harding  looked  at  her  si  si.  -r.  and  it  was  Mrs. 
Dennison  who  spoke  first:  "I  used  to  think  that 
way,  Mrs  Burns,  and  I  was  proud  of  our  Children's 
Aid  Societies  and  organ  i/ed  chanties.  But  some 
how,  the  more  we  did  the  more  the  need  seemed  to 
grow.  Then  I  took  my  sister  about  with  me,  and 
she  made  me  feel  many  times  that  the  things  I  once 
thought  kind  are  not  really  a  bit  so — we  just  made 
ourselves  feel  good  by  keeping  a  f«-w  people  from 
.starving." 

"Our  charitably  inclined  and  philanthropic  peo 
ple  need  to  Irani  the  truth  Knskin  pointed  out  long 
ago,"  remarked  Mrs.  Fujita.  "that  we  must  be  just 
before  we  can  lie  truly  kind." 

"l.nt  think  ho\v  savage  and  brutal  people  u^ed  to 
be,"  said  Mrs.  l.nrns.  insistently,  "and  now  there 
are  lots  «»f  humane  societies  •""d  ways  to  help  the 
poor." 

"The    very    existence    of    sneli    societies    is    itself 


TWO  OPINIONS  269 

evidence  that  there  is  a  monstrous  wrong  some 
where,"  returned  Glen  Harding.  "They  could  not 
exist  under  equitable  conditions." 

"But  who  would  take  care  of  all  the  orphans 
and  poor  people,"  queried  Mrs.  Burns. 

"You  are  keeping  in  mind  the  present  inequitable 
environment,  Mrs.  Burns,"  said  Glen  Harding,  smil 
ing  brightly.  "Put  that  away.  Imagine  all  the 
injustice  of  today  removed — as  a  tree  is  removed 
when  pulled  up  by  the  roots  and  carted  awray — and 
where  would  you  find  any  poor  people  to  put  into 
orphanages  and  charitable  institutions?" 

"There  simply  could  not  be  any  destitute — or 
phans  or  others — under  the  harmonious  living  based 
on  a  balanced  land  tenure.  I  am  convinced  of  that 
much  now,"  affirmed  Mrs.  Fujita.  "Think  it  over 
a  bit,  Mrs.  Burns,  and  you  will  see  how  impossible 
it  would  be  to  have  any  destitution  in  a  land  where 
all  the  grown  people  were  busy  either  producing 
things  they  liked  to  grow  or  make,  and  exchanging 
for  other  things  they  wanted,  but  did  not  care  to 
produce,  or  enjoying  other  things.  With  our  mod 
ern  knowledge  of  machinery,  and  how  to  treat  the 
soil  so  it  can  be  made  to  grow  more  and  more  each 
year,  instead  of  wearing  out,  we  could  easily  pro 
duce  enough  for  all  our  actual  physical  needs  by  a 
few  hours  work  each  day,  and  have  all  the  rest  of 
the  time  in  which  to  improve  our  minds  and  enjoy 
the  thousands  of  things  to  be  seen  and  heard  and 
learned  in  the  great  out-of-doors,  as  well  as  in  the 
laboratory  and  library." 

"Oh,  that  reminds  me  of  such  a  nice  little  book 


LTO  Tin;  BOUL  OF  'I1  ill-:  woHLD 

I've  just  finished  reading,"  said  Mrs.  Hums. 
"Seventy  Years  Young.  Have  you  read  it?  It's 
about  what  t<>  do.  so  we  can  keep  young,  by  having 
,i  slat  lonary  birthday  and  keeping  the  right  sort  of 
thoughts  in  <>ur  minds,  and  so  on.  It's  real  good, 
I  think." 

"I  n-ad  it,"  said  Mrs.  Dennison,  ''but  it  seemed 
to  MIC  that  to  do  as  the  author  says,  we  have  to  keep 
trying  and  trying,  and  doing  sunn-thing  all  the  time. 
Why  cannot  we  just  fed  young  without  thinking 
about  it  at  all?" 

"That's  exactly  what  \ve  ought  to  do.  Birdie," 
said  her  sister,  "and  would  do  if  we  were  living 
normally,  just  as  naturally  as  the  birds  fly.  They 
never  look  to  me  as  tho  they  counted  their  wing 
beats,  or  had  to  eumpel  themselves  to  fly  from  bush 
to  tree.  It  is  the  horrible  slavery  under  which  we 
are  nil  struggling  tugdher  that  makes  must  people 
old  and  worn  out— whether  rich  or  poor — while 
still  young  in  years." 

"I  know  some  of  those  among  ourselves,"  inter 
jected  Mrs.  Moreland. 

"Of  course,"  continued  Glen  Harding,  ''nobody 
wants  t<>  In-  crushed,  and  yet  the  existence  of  prop 
erty  in  privileges  makes  it  unavoidable  that  a  mass 
of  people  shall  be  ground  down,  and  a  few  come 
out  on  top.  The  inevitable  result  is  a  frantic  effort 
on  tin-  part  of  the  few  to  wring  out  mure  and  mure 
tribute,  and  a  diaus  uf  struggle  among  the  many 
to  p;iv  that  tribute  and  keep  alive.  The  only  p 
hie  way  out  is  to  lol;dly  abolish  the  eailse  of  the 
evil  property  in  privileges  -and  thus  bring  all 


TWO  OPINIONS  271 

people  into  harmony  with  natural  law.  Establish 
equal  freedom  in  the  use  of  the  earth,  thru  a  bal 
anced  land  tenure,  and  the  crushing  weight  of 
tribute  paying,  with  the  still  greater  degradation 
due  to  tribute  receiving  and  spending  will  be  done 
away  with  forever.  A  thoroly  sane  lot  of  people 
will  then  find  themselves  in  a  world  packed  full  of 
rational  enjoyments.  In  that  world  healthy  bodies 
will  reach  the  maximum  of  efficiency;  and  growing, 
expanding  minds,  reach  the  utmost  of  symmetrical 
development." 

''It  would  be  easy  to  keep  young  in  such  a  world. 
Glen,"  exclaimed  her  sister. 

"Then  join  in  and  work  awhile  for  it — all  of 
you —  '  Glen  Harding  included  the  visitors  in  her 
glance,  "and  you  will  see  that  all  the  keeping  young 
that  we  now  have  to  think  about  will  take  care  of 
itself.  It  will  be  ours  without  thought,  beyond  the 
simple,  normal  care  of  the  body  which  requires  no 
conscious  compelling  effort.  Just  think  of  the 
strength  now  wasted  in  compelling  ourselves  to  do 
things  that  ought  not  to  be  necessary.  All  that 
strength  will  be  freed  for  the  joy  of  living  and 
learning  in  a  free  air,  among  a  lot  of  equally  joyous 
and  comfortable  and  friendly  people." 

"Oh,  Miss  Harding,  you  don't  really  think  such  a 
thing  possible?  Not  in  our  time?"  cried  Mrs.  Burns, 
incredulously. 

"Yes  I  do,"  was  the  decided  reply.  "It  is  en 
tirely  and  speedily  possible,  now  that  we  know 
exactly  what  is  necessary  to  secure  and  maintain 
equal  freedom — a  balanced  land  tenure.  There  is 


272  TIM:  son,  <>r  TIM:  \vm:u> 

in»  Mt her  way  by  which  we  CUM  live  honestly  and 
peaceably  1  oiret her,  than  by  recognixing  and  living 
in  liarmony  \vitli  natural  law.  Now  that  we  know 
exactly  what  that  law  is,  in  relation  to  persons,  it 
•  •an  be  applied  as  soon  as  enough  people  know  about 
it  to  put  public  opinion  in  its  favor.  The  propa 
ganda  we  are  now  starting  is  merely  to  make  known 
to  all  pn.plr.  as  speedily  as  possible,  the  discovery 
of  this  natural  law.  It  needs  only  to  be  widely- 
known  to  be  gladly  accepted,  recognized  -by  rich 
and  poor  alike — for  all  people  want  to  live  in  a 
world  of  comfort  ;ind  happiness." 

"I  wish  we  could  have  such  a  world  right  now, 
Glen,"  her  sister  said,  wistfully.  "I  try  to  do  all 
I  can  for  those  little  orphans — but  there  are  so  many. 
It  makes  me  feel  helpless." 

"Of  course  I'd  like  everyone  to  be  well  oil1." 
observed  Mrs.  Morelaml.  "but  such  a  time  is  too  far 
off  to  think  of.  I  believe  in  taking  things  as  we 
find  them,  and  being  practical." 

"We  have  to  take  things  as  we  find  them,  Mrs. 
Moreland ;  but  we  need  not  leave  them  so,"  retorted 
Glen  Harding. 

"The  world  is  surely  growing  better  all  the  time," 
remarked  Mrs.  JJurns.  "There's  so  much  now  in 
books  and  magaxines,  telling  us  how  to  live  higher 
and  nobler  lives ;  how  to  improve  ourselves  in  every 
way;  and  to  be  more  helpful  to  each  other  in  differ 
ent  ways." 

"Knowing,  as  I  do,"  began  Glen  J larding,  earn 
estly,  and  with  the  far-away  look  in  her  eyes  that 
seemed  to  belong  to  certain  thoughts,  "seeing  as 


TWO  OPINIONS  273 

plainly  as  I  see,  the  origin  of  traditions  and  con 
ceptions — of  human  history ;  I  know  there  never  was 
a  time  on  this  globe,  when  human  conditions  were 
worse  than  they  are  today.  The  whole  world  is  now, 
for  the  first  time,  practically  civilized;  and  civiliza 
tion  is  dominated  by  the  concentrated  power  of 
property  in  privileges ;  and  this  power  is  daily 
growing  more  despotic  and  aggressive." 

"I  believe  you  are  right,  Glen,"  agreed  Mrs. 
Fujita,  gravely,  ''and  that  all  the  literature  aiming 
to  show  the  way,  or  help  individuals  to  rise  above 
the  power  of  their  existing  environment,  is  like  the 
charitable  societies  to  which  Mrs.  Dennison  belongs 
— merely  evidence  of  the  disease  that  needs  to  be 
rooted  out  and  destroyed.  What  the  world  needs 
now  is  the  removal  of  the  cause  of  all  this  degrada 
tion  and  suffering  and  pinching — a  change  of  en 
vironment — so  that  all  may  attain  to  the  best  for 
which  they  are  capable,  without  any  conscious 
struggle  for  a  chance  to  rise.  Then  all  the  energy 
can  be  put  into  the  rise  itself,  and  every  effort  count 
as  a  step  toward  the  goal." 

"I  don't  see  how  you  can  expect  such  great  things 
from  just  one  little  change,  such  as  Mr.  Wynn  pro 
poses,"  Mrs.  Moreland  observed;  "tho  I  should  not 
object  to  any  real  improvement." 

"  You  don't  realize  that  the  beginnings  of  all  great 
things  look  small,"  said  Glen  Harding,  smilingly. 
"To  turn  half  way  round,  when  walking,  is  a  very 
slight  change,  and  yet  it  alters  the  whole  direction 
of  your  walk.  That  is  what  the  change  from  an 
unbalanced  to  a  balanced  land  tenure  means — a 


L'Ti  TIII:  sou,  <>r  THK  \vm;u> 

change  i)l'  direction.  A  change  from  non-conformity 
to  natural  la\v.  to  conformity  to  natural  law.  makes 
all  the  difference  between  war  and  peace,  distrust 
and  friendship,  sntVi-rin«r  and  happiness." 

"I  read  a  queer  book  on  economics  lately.  Miss 
Harding,  to  please  Mother's  friend,  Miss  Wilmoiv." 
said  Jack  Komaine.  "You  know  Miss  \Yilmore? 
She's  lovely,  but  the  book  is  a  queer  jumble — about 
tin-  worst  I  ever  tried  to  read.  The  author  is  a 
professor  in  the  I'nivrrsity  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
only  definite  thing  I  got  out  of  his  book  is  that  an 
ideal  civilization — he  meant  by  that  something  worth 
having — is  not  possible  in  the  twentieth  century. 
He  says  it  will  lake  a  thousand  years,  or  maybe 
many  thousand  years  to  'make  the  multitude  of 
material  adjustments  necessary'  to  enable  us  to  live 
peaeeahly  together." 

"It  is  almost  unbelievable."  exclaimed  (ilen  Hard 
ing,  "that  even  university  professors  can  be  so 
ignorant  as  to  hold  and  teach  sueli  false  notions. 
There  is  ample  proof  everywhere  around  us  -shown 
by  hundreds  of  immii:rants  every  year;  by  the  work 
of  men  like  Luther  Burbank;  by  demonstrations  in 
a  host  of  laboratories  and  workshops;  and  spectac 
ularly  displayed  all  over  the  country  where  prarie 
or  forest  or  valley  land,  with  its  natural  beauty  and 
bloom,  is  transformed  in  a  few  years  to  the  arti 
ficiality  of  briek  and  concrete  we  call  the  modern 
city.  There's  mo  IT  than  enough  of  all  this  now  to 
show  that  the  whole  country  could  be  changed  in 
live  years  -by  merely  changing  the  direction  of  tin- 
same  amount  of  energy — into  widespread  townships 


TWO  OPINIONS  275 

of  happy,  comfortable  people,  living  in  wholesome 
peace 'with  each  other  and  all  the  world." 

"To  help  make  such  a  world,  and  then  live  in  it, 
will  be  something  worth  while!"  Jack  Romaine's 
young  enthusiasm  burst  forth.  "And  I,  for  one, 
mean  to  pitch  in  and  help  get  it.  You  need  not 
shake  your  head,  Aunt  Kate,  I'm  in  earnest.  I'll 
concenter  on  it  with  all  my  might,  Miss  Harding." 

Glen  Harding  laughed.  "You  have  been  reading 
Mr.  Tremont's  book,  Jack,"  she  said.  Then  her 
tone  became  serious:  "You  cannot  do  anything 
better  with  the  power  you  gain  than  use  it  to  help 
secure  true  freedom.  I  know— 

"Now,  Miss  Harding,"  Mrs.  Moreland  hastily 
interrupted,  "please  don't  encourage  Jack  in  any 
such  rash  fancies.  You  know  I  am  interested  in  Mr. 
Wynn's  theory,  and  I'd  like  to  see  it  tried  some 
where.  I  wrould  contribute  something  to  such  a  plan 
myself,  but  it  is  quite  another  thing  to  talk  of 
throwing  away  a  fortune  on  an  untried  scheme." 

"That  point  is  quite  settled,  Aunt  Kate.  You 
heard  what  I  said  at  the  meeting  in  Mr.  Dennison's 
office.  T  meant  just  that." 

"Of  course,  Jack,  I  understand  you  meant  to  help. 
People  often  make  such  pledges  at  meetings.  I've 
heard  them  in  church,  at  missionary  meetings,  and 
other  times.  It  encourages  the  cause — whatever  it 
happens  to  be.  But  no  one  expects  them  to  be  taken 
literally — they  just  give  any  reasonable  sum  of 
money,  when  it  comes  to  paying." 

The  broad  shoulders  squared  themselves,  and 
there  was  a  resolute  look  in  the  bright  eyes  of  the 


276  THE  SOUL  OK  Till!   WORLD 

young  man,  that  gave  a  world  ol'  hope  to  Glen 
Harding  ;ts  he  answered  quietly:  "I'm  n<»t  built 
that  way.  Aunt  Kate." 

"Maybe  not,  but  you  ought  to  be  more  practical. 
Don't  you  think  so,  Mrs.  Dennison?  A  man's  first 
duty  is  to  his  family,  and — 

"Oh,  come,  Aunt  Kate" — Jack  Romaine  stopped 
her,  laughing,  and  yet  with  an  earnest  tin-ill  in  his 
tone — "you  know  I  have  no  family  except  Mother, 
and  slu-  often  says  she  has  inmv  than  enough  money 
of  her  own." 

"Of  course  you  are  too  young  for  that  yet,  Jack," 
replied  his  aunt,  quickly.  But  you  will  have  in 
a  few  years,  most  likely.  Your  father  was  only 
two  years  older  than  you  are  now  when  he  married 
my  sister.  You  ought  to  look  forward  and  think  of 
your  wife  and  children.  You  don't  want  to  find 
yourself  a  pauper  and  out  of  work  like  those  men 
in  the  bread  lines  in  the  cities,  do  you?" 

"Nobody  can  want  sin-h  a  thing,  Aunt  Kate,  and 
that's  just  why  I  am  going  to  work  to  help  abolish 
the  property  in  privileges  that  forces  smart,  indus 
trious  men  into  poverty." 

"But  just  suppose  you  fail?  It  is  not  at  all  sure 
yet  that  Mr.  Wynn's  theory  can  be  made  to  work, 
or  that  you  can  get  people  to  listen;  and  then  you 
see,  Miss  Harding" — she  turned  from  her  nephew 
in  the  effort  to  win  a  helper — "Jack  would  have  lost 
all  his  money  and  be  stranded,  with  his  life  spoiled 
—and  no  good  done." 

"But  I  could  work  for  my  living,  Aunt  Kate.  I'm 
strong  and  well." 


TWO  OPINIONS  277 

"But  it  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  get  a  place  now, 
Jack.  Don't  you  remember  what  Mr.  Morgan  said 
yesterday  when  I  asked  him  about  a  place  for  Mr. 
Burns?" 

"You  see,  I  like  it  so  much  out  here,"  Mrs.  Burns 
put  in,  by  way  of  explanation,  "that  if  my  husband 
could  get  a  job — he  is  an  expert  pressman — that 
would  keep  us,  we  could  move  right  out  here." 

"Couldn't  Mr.  Morgan  do  anything?"  asked  Mrs. 
Dennison.  "He  has  such  a  large  business,  I  should 
think  he  could  find  a  place  for  Mr.  Burns." 

"He"  said  not,  that  they  had  to  cut  down  their 
force  lately — on  account  of  the  panic,  or  something. 
I  tried  some  other  places  he  told  me  of,  but  couldn't 
find  anything." 

"I  wish  I  could  stay  here!  It's  such  a  lovely 
country."  Mrs.  Burns'  gaze  wandered  from  the 
nearby  beauty  of  the  garden  to  the  far  background 
of  mountain  peaks,  showing  thru  the  trees. 

"It  is  a  lovely  land,  Mrs.  Burns,"  agreed  Mrs. 
Dennison,  "and  I'll  see  if  Will — my  husband — can 
do  anything  to  find  a  place  for  Mr.  Burns." 

"Oh,  thank  you!  I  do  believe  there  is  a  place 
somewhere.  My  husband  knows  his  trade  thoroly." 

"I  have  seen  lots  of  statements  lately,  in  maga 
zines  and  papers,  to  the  effect  that  employers — in 
all  sorts  of  work — were  always  looking  for  especially 
skilled  men.  How  can  it  be  hard  to  find  a  place 
for  Mr.  Burns?"  It  was  Mrs.  Fujita  who  put  the 
question. 

"Those  statements  don't  agree  with  the  facts,  if 
we  are  to  judge  by  our  experiences  of  the  last  two 


BT8  TIIK  SOUL  OF  TIIK   WORLD 

•  lavs.    Mix     Fujita,''    was    Mrs.    M< Ireland's   prompt 
reply.     "I   took  Jack  with  me,  and  it  ought   to  be 
a  less,  m  tn  him  not  to  risk  throwing  away  his  money 

•  in  any  untried  theories,  and  then,  maybe,  find  him- 
s.-lf  limiting  for  a  job." 

"It  was  a  lesson  to  me,"  admitted  Jack  Romaim  . 
and  (Jleii  Harding  noted  a  new  seriousness  in  his 

•  •yes,  and  a  grave  determination  in  his  voice,  which 
proclaimed  that  the  youth  was  taking  on  the  color 
ing  of  the  man.     "It  was  a  good  deal  of  a  lesson  to 
me,  tho  not  just  as  Aunt  Kate  wished  to  have  it.     I 
never  understood  before,  never  realized,  you  know, 
that  men  who  honestly  wanted  work  could  not  find 
it.     1  thought,  as  we  tried  one  place  after  another, 
that  if  we  who  had  money  and  position,  and  friend 
ship,  even,  to  back  us  in  the  hunt,  couldn't  find  a 
place  for  one  man,  what  hope  of  work  was  there  for 
that    crowd    of   friendless   men    on    the    streets?     I 
saw  a  lot  of  things  in  the  Los  Angeles  streets  that 
I  never  noticed  before,  and — well,  I'm  going  to  work 
with  Mr.  Wynn  to  make  things  different,  so  people 
will  have  a  chance  to  live  and  not  just  be  everlast 
ingly  hustling  to  keep  body  and  soul  together.     I 
In-lirvc  that   is  the  greatest  thing  to  live  for — until 
it  is  won.     Then  we  can  be  anything  we  like." 

"You  are  right,  Jack,"  said  Glen  Harding, 
warmly.  "All  of  us  ought  to  do  everything  we  can 
to  establish  a  balanced  land  tenure  as  quickly  as 
possible." 

I'm    prrtVctly  willing  to  do  what  I  reasonably 
can."  said    Mrs.    M«>reland.   "but    it    is   folly  to   risk 


TWO  OPINIONS  279 

all  one  has  in  a  cause  that  may  fail,  and  leave  us 
all  stranded." 

"I  don't  ask  you  to  risk  anything,  Aunt  Kate.  I 
speak  only  for  myself. ' ' 

"I  do  not  admit,  for  one  moment,"  Glen  Harding 
began,  slowly  and  gravely,  as  tho  weighing  each 
word  with  care.  "I  do  not  admit,  for  one  moment, 
that  failure  in  this  cause  is  possible.  Knowing 
the  past  of  human  life  as  I  now  do,  and  having 
learned,  thru  Mr.  Wynn's  discovery  of  a  natural 
law,  exactly  what  it  is  necessary  to  do  in  the 
present  to  secure,  and  in  the  future  to  maintain, 
a  balanced  land  tenure,  I  can  see  the  way  quite 
clearly.  We  have  a  perfectly  definite  path  to 
follow;  a  plain  and  simple  message  to  deliver. 
The  people  everywhere  are  waiting  for  the  news 
we  have  to  give  them,  of  a  practical  and  permanent, 
a  speedy  and  peaceful  way  out  of  conditions  with 
which  no  one  is  really  satisfed.  Every  living 
thing  needs  freedom  in  which  to  grow,  and  persons 
are  no  exception.  Consciously  or  unconsciously, 
the  spark  of  freedom  burns  somewhere  in  every 
human  being.  In  some,  the  fire  burns  brightly; 
the  flames  fed  with  the  oil  of  rational  thought.  In 
some,  the  light  is  almost  quenched  under  the  fetid 
mass  of  despotic  power  with  which  property  in 
privileges  has  clothed  its  owners.  In  some,  the 
weight  of  the  oppression  under  which  they  exist 
is  so  £reat  they  never  imagined  such  a  thing  as 
the  word  freedom  brings  to  our  minds,  yet  the 
tiny  spark  is  there  and  will  burn  brightly  the 
instant  the  weight  is  lifted  off.  Then  there  are 


280  THE  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

tin-  vast  numbers  of  people — neither  monstrously 
rich  nor  abjectly  poor — who  vaguely  desire  the 
freedom  to  be  and  to  do,  and  who  are  struggling, 
some  with,  ami  some  against  the  current  of  com 
mercialism  and  sham  that  is  wrecking  all  alike  in 
the  muddy  river  nf  its  flow.  Differing  in  every 
thing  else,  all  tin  si-  people  are  exactly  alike  in 
their  need  of  genuine  freedom — equal  freedom. 
All  want  it,  tho  feu  realize  the  want  by  name 
and  nature.  The  normal  impulse  toward  equity 
in  every  person  today  is  waiting  and  longing  for 
the  message  of  redemption  we  have  to  tell.  All 
that  is  lacking  now  is  the  money  with  which  to 
carry  on  the  work  of  getting  that  message  to  the 
people-  and  if  Jack  furnishes  the  money,  Mrs. 
Moreland — Jack  Romaine —  '  she  turned  abruptly 
to  the  young  man  :  "Jack  Romaine,  if  you  do  that, 
a  free  people  will  bless  you  to  the  end  of  time!" 

"Oh,  I  don't  bother  about  that,  Miss  Harding. 
1  want  a  chance  to  work  at  something  in  a  free 
land  myself." 

"Will  is  going  to  help  Mr.  Wynn.  tob;  Glen,"  her 
sister  said,  eagerly.  "We  have  been  talking  about 
ii.  and  I  want  him  to.  for  the  sake  of  our  own 
precious  children." 

"I  should  think  you  would  want  Mr.  Dmnison  to 
be  more  careful  on  their  aeeount.  and  not  make  rash 
investments."  said  Mrs.  Moreland. 

"P.ut  nothin.tr  semis  to  he  really  secure  now." 
returned  Mrs.  IVnnisnn.  "We  eame  near  losing 
an  awful  lot  of  money  in  the  panic.  Will  had  just 
•  •handed  to  something  safer  a  little  while  before  the 


TWO  OPINIONS  281 

crash  came.  He  told  me  about  it  last  night  when 
we  were  talking  over  ways  to  help  Mr.  Wynn  and 
the  new  Club." 

"Well,  if  Mr.  Dennison  is  going  to  encourage 
Jack  in  his  recklessness,  nothing  but  his  mother 
can  stop  him.  I  don't  believe  she  realizes  how 
serious  he  is,  and  I  had  better  go  and  talk  the  matter 
over  with  her  at  once."  Mrs.  Moreland  rose  hastily 
as  she  spoke,  and  Mrs.  Burns  followed  her  friend's 
example  in  spite  of  Mrs.  Dennison 's  protesting: — 

"Oh,  Mrs.  Burns,  don't  -go  yet.  I  want  you  to 
tell  me  more  about  Mr.  Burns,  so  I  can  explain  to 
my  husband  what  he  wants.  There  might  be  other 
things  Mr.  Burns  could  do,  for  awhile,  anyway." 

In  the  midst  of  the  little  flurry  Jack  Romaine 
laid  a  detaining  hand  on  his  aunt's  arm,  and  again 
Glen  Harding  noted  the  manly  seriousness  in  his 
tone,  tho  there  was  a  glint  of  fun  in  his  eyes,  as 
he  said:  "If  that's  all  you  are  going  for,  Aunt 
Kate,  you  might  as  well  sit  down  again.  I  talked 
the  whole  business  over  with  mother  before  that 
meeting,  and  she  entirely  agrees  with  me.  You 
know,"  appealing  to  Mrs.  Dennison,  "I  would  not 
have  mentioned  such  a  thing  in  public  unless  my 
Mother  knew  all  about  it  beforehand?" 

"Of  course  you  would  not,  Jack,"  she  said, 
heartily.  "Do  please  sit  down  again,  Mrs.  More- 
land.  I  will  have  some  lemonade  out  in  a  minute." 
She  touched  an  electric  button  near  her.  "The 
rest/  of  you  can  visit  a  little,  while  Mrs.  Burns  tells 
me  what  to  explain  to  Mr.  Dennison." 


CHAPTER   14. 

TIIK    I) I. \.\KIx    PARTY. 

Masses  of  feathery  ferns  in  pots,  and  a  few  glo 
rious  roses  in  tall,  quaint  vases,  added  to  tin-  < 1 

eharm    of    llie    large,    airy    dining    room    at    An 
Vista,   when   the  little   parly   assembled   there  a  few 

dtya  later. 

Ernest  Wyim  noticed  that  Glen  Harding  was 
wearing  tin-  rose-lined  gown  he  had  seen  once 
liefoiv.  .-mil  to  him  she  seemed  even  more  lovely  in 
the  bright  afternoon  sunlight  than  she  had  appeared 
in  the  paler  radiance  of  the  electric  lights.  Could 
he  possibly  win  her?  Involuntarily  his  glance 
turned  to  the  animated  face  of  the  handsome  .Jap 
anese  who  sat  beside  her,  and  who  at  the  moment 
had  half  turned  to  listen  to  some  word  she  was 
Diving.  He  could  not  deny  that  Ina/o  .Motora  had 
all  the  attractions  any  woman  might  reasonably 
asU  for — and  he  knew  that  he  himself  lacked  some 
of  the  thin LT<  | "»^essed  by  the  Japanese,  and  yot — 
well,  given  time  enough  ami  he  would  make  him- 
->'•]!'  more  fit,  he  was  studying  and  working  every 
day  and  hope  roso  again.  Tie  turned,  smiling,  to 
answer  Mrs.  Fujita,  who  sat  beside  him. 

"T  had  to  take  a  day  off  in  the  midst  of  a  regular 
fight,  in  order  to  be  here,  Mrs.  Dennison;  but  I 
eouldn't  resist  the  temptation  to  be  one  of  such  a 
company  as  you  get  together."  announced  Abbott 


THE  DINNER  PAETY  283 

Morgan,  with  a  bow  to  his  hostess  and  a  genial 
smile  for  the  group  gathered  around  the  table. 

"You  don't  look  like  a  fighter  now,  I  am  sure," 
said  Mrs.  Dennison,  with  a  responsive  smile. 

"I  don't  feel  like  one  here — in  such  delightful 
company.  It's  a  rest,  I  can  tell  you." 

"I  really  cannot  see  why  we  should  quarrel,  and 
fight  each  other,  at  any  time  or  place,"  Madam 
Wortley's  cheerful  voice  put  in.  "Surely  we  would 
all  be  happier  at  peace  with  each  other." 

"Competition  in  the  business  world  is  too  keen, 
my  dear  Madam.  It  pushes  us  on  in  spite  of  our 
selves." 

"It  certainly  looks  so,  Mr.  Morgan,"  observed 
Jack  Romaine.  "Every  paper  I  pick  up  is  full  of 
accounts  of  some  sort  of  war  or  strife,  political  or 
industrial,  or  among  the  nations.  Is  it  not  a  sure 
proof  that  there  is  something  radically  wrong 
somewhere,  when  people  cannot  get  along  peace 
ably  together?" 

"Of  course  we  think  so  now,  Jack,  but  don't  for 
get  how  much  we  owe  to  the  wars  of  the  past," 
Bruce  Ericson  spoke  up,  briskly.  "You  all  know," 
he  smiled  companion-ably  as  he  glanced  around  the 
table,  "it  is  to  that  struggle  and  bloodshed  that 
we  owe,  as  Upton  Sinclair  well  says,  'our  physical 
being,  with  all  its  perfections  ...  a  swift  foot 
and  a  dexterous  hand,  an  ear  attuned  to  ev.ery 
sound,  an  eye  that  adjusts  itself  to  every  distance, 
a  mind  quick  and  alert,  a  spirit  bold  and  enter 
prising.'  When  we  remember  all  that,  we  can 
readily  understand  that  all  the  horrors  of  war  were 


-M  Tin:  sou,  <M-  THI;  WORLD 

"lire  necessary  and  right — you  <  an  all  admit  that?" 
llr  .Lrlaiieed  aLi'ain  around  the  table,  and  encount- 
rivd  tin-  indignant  ilash  in  (Jim  Ilanlin-'s  ryes. 

"I  do  not  admit  anything  ol'  tin-  sort.  Mr.  i 
son,"  she  said.  "How  can  any  person  ever  ha\" 
lli«-  riirht  to  deprive  another  person  of  life?  One 
of  tlie  most  terrible  errors  of  our  civili/.at  i«m,  and 
one  that  has  been  most  disastrous  in  its  etl'erts.  is 
that  very  teaching  that  war  and  all  other  evils  wen- 
once  right  and  necessary,  and  that  we  can  only 
slowly — thru  a  million  or  two  years  more — get  rid 
of  them.  Right  human  association  has  always  been 
one  of  peace  and  friendship.  What  is  right  today 
was  right  from  the  beginning  of  conscious  human 
companionship." 

".Miss  Harding  is  right,"  asserted  Ernest  Wynn. 
11  War  can  never  be  a  step  in  an  upward  path.  The 
unity  of  the  human  species  should  teach  us  that 
there  is  no  excuse  for  one  race  supplanting  another 
by  exterminating  wars  on  any  possible  plea  of  right 
or  necessity.  Yet  there  seems  to  be  a  tacit  belief 
that  the  white  race  is  somehow  divinely  inspired 
t<>  drive  the  rest  of  the  people  off  the  globe — a 
monstrous  idea." 

"That  error  is  due  to  a  misreading  of  the  records 
of  the  past/1  said  Glen  Harding,  quickly. 

"But  yon  will  surely  admit,  Miss  Harding,  that 
the  struggle  for  existence  has  been  one  of  the 
grea'test  forces  in  the  natural  development  of  all 
peoples?"  insisted  Bruce  Ericson. 

"Ind<-<-d.   I   dn  not,"  was  the  prompt  retort. 

"Of   course    not,"   added    Ernest    Wynn.      "The 


THE  DINNER  PARTY  285 

struggle  for  existence  between  human  beings  has 
no  natural  cause,  Mr.  Ericson.  Its  cause  is  wholly 
artificial — the  work  of  persons — and  can  be  elim 
inated  by  persons  at  any  time  they  set  about  it  in 
the  right  way.  It  originated  in,  and  has  been  con 
tinued  thru,  the  misuse  of  human  faculties  and 
natural  forces.  It  never  had  any  place  in  the 
natural  order,  and  it  has  served — and  serves 
today — only  to  retard  human  progress  and  degrade 
human  beings." 

"I  don't  see  how  you  work  that  out,  Mr.  Wynn," 
protested  Bruce  Ericson.  "How  could  we  have 
had  our  grand  civilization  today  if  there  had  been 
no  struggle?" 

"We  would  be  living  in  a  lovely  world  full  of 
happy  people,  Mr.  Ericson,  if  there  had  been  no 
errors  to  hide  the  natural  law  of  human  associa 
tion  from  us  for  so  long,"  said  Glen  Harding. 

"Civilization  is  a  tissue  of  legislative  fictions, 
and  civilized  people  are  governed  by  those  fictions," 
put  in  Ernest  Wynn.  "Legislation  has  created  the 
fiction  of  property  in  privileges,  by  which  some 
persons  are  endowed  with  the  power  to  rob  others, 
and  thus  wantonly  ignore  the  natural  law  of  prop 
erty  in  products.  A  truly  enlightened  people  can 
have  no  legal  fictions." 

"But  we  must  have  laws  to  go  by!"  exclaimed 
Bruce  Ericson. 

"Nature  provides  us  with  plenty  of  laws," 
retorted  Ernest  Wynn,  "and  there  is  no  need  of 
legislation  in  support  of  natural  law.  Just  imag 
ine  a  State  legislature  enacting  a  'law'  to  control 


286  TIII-:  son.  OF  TIM:  WOULD 

the  times  of  rain  or  the  phases  of  the  moon!  Nat 
ural  law  needs  only  discovery,  and  recognition  by 
conformity,  while  any  other  sort  of  'law'  unavoid 
ably  works  out  in  oppression,  because  it  creates 
discriminations." 

"I  am  quite  sure  the  normal  association  of  people 
is  that  of  friendliness  and  mutual  helpfulness." 
spoke  up  .Mrs.  Fujita. 

"Then  why  don't  they  practice  it?"  asked  Dr. 
Lloyd,  across  the  table. 

"They  do,  far  more  than  we  reali/e,"  was  the 
quick  retort. 

"Yet  we  must  admit  that  the  constant  struggle 
is  most  prominent  today,"  said  Jack  Komaine. 
"Why,  coming  over  from  Los  Angeles  on  the  car 
this  morning,  I  heard  two  men  talking  about  tin- 
prospect  of  a  war  with  Japan.  They  insisted  that 
the  many  Japanese  now  in  this  country  are  here 
on  purpose  to  make  war." 

"They  were  entirely  mistaken,"  said  Inazo 
Motora.  quietly.  "I  am  sure  that  I  desire  peace 
above  all  things,  for  it  is  only  thru  peace  that  we 
can  have  freedom:  and  1  am  confident  that  peace 
is  the  wish  of  my  countrymen,  here  as  well  as  in 
Japan." 

"Of  course  it  is,"  put  in  Mrs.  Fujita,  warmly. 
"I  am  acquainted  with  many  of  the  Japanese  in 
this  country,  and  I  know  that  they  look  upon  the 
people  of  the  I'nited  States  as  their  friends.  They 
don't  want  any  war.  They  come  over  here  to  learn 
from  the  people  they  hold  in  hijrh  esteem.  They 
admire  their  own  ruler  so  much  that  they  think  to 


THE  DINNER  PAETY  287 

please  Americans  by  praising  their  President,  and 
they  overlook  the  things  they  cannot  praise.  That 
shows  their  eagerness  to  keep  on  friendly  terms. 
They  have  nothing  to  gain  by  war  with  the  United 
States." 

"Or  with  any  other  country,"  added  Inazo 
Motora,  with  an  appreciative  glance  at  the  fair 
American  who  was  to  spend  the  rest  of  her  life  as 
his  countrywoman.  "I  am  sure  that  Count  Okuma, 
one  of  our  greatest  statesmen,  voiced  the  thought 
of  our  people  when  he  recently  said:  'Now  that 
peace  has  crowned  the  tremendous  effort  which 
Japan  made  in  the  war  with  Russia  the  effect  upon 
herself  will  be  that  she  will  be  able  to  make  still 
greater  progress  in  the  paths  of  civilization,  and 
the  true  spirit  of  the  Japanese  nation  will  have 
more  room  to  display  itself.  Japan  has  never  been 
an  advocate  of  war,  and  will  never  draw  her  sword 
from  its  sheath  unless  compelled  to  do  so  by  the 
pressure  of  foreign  powers.  She  fought  to  secure 
peace,  not  for  the  sake  of  making  war,  and  wap 
only  too  glad  to  lay  down  her  weapons  as  soon  as 
peace  wras  obtainable,  and  to  devote  herself  to  the 
promotion  of  interests  of  a  nobler  kind.  The  emi 
nence  of  Japan  is  ascribable  to  no  mere  mushroom 
growth;  it  has  its  roots  in  the  past,  and  her  prog 
ress  is  to  be  explained  by  natural  causes  which 
anyone  may  comprehend  who  cares  to  study  her 
history  attentively.  The  late  war  was.  not  one  of 
race  against  race,  or  of  religion  against  religion, 
and  the  victory  of  Japan  points  to  the  ultimate 
blending  into  one  harmonious  whole  of  the  ancient 


288  Hi  K  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

and   modern    civili/.at ions   of  the   East   and   West." 

"That  is  the  much  desired  harmony  toward 
which  all  good  people  are  working,"  said  Madam 
Wortley. 

"Yon  don't  mean  to  say  that  the  Japanese  are 
quite  perfect?"  Bruce  Ericson  looked  incredulous. 

"Certainly  not,"  replied  Inazo  Motora,  with  a 
reassuring  smile  toward  his  hostess,  who  looked  a 
little  troubled  at  the  turn  the  talk  was  taking. 
"  People  in  Japan,  Mr.  Ericson,  are  the  same  as 
people  everywhere.  Some  are  good  and  some  bad." 

"I  am  quite  positive  that  there  is  not  the  shadow 
<>!'  a  shade  of  excuse  for  war  among  any  nations 
today,"  Glen  Harding  gravely  asserted.  "It  is  an 
insult  to  the  assumed  enlightenment  of  this  age  to 
talk  of  war  as  anywhere  necessary." 

"I  agree  entirely  with  that.  Miss  Harding,"  said 
the  Japanese.  "It  has  been  a  matter  of  much  regret 
to  me  to  see  that  the  necessity  Japan  felt  for  keeping 
up  the  study  and  development  of  war  knowledge, 
in  order  to  proven!  eneroachmen!s  from  other 
nations,  has  tended  to  develop  a  spirit  which  has 
hindered  internal  ethical  and  peaceful  progress." 

"I  saw  a  news  item  this  morning,  about  your 
people,  Mr.  Motora,"  said  .Madam  Wortloy.  "that 
pleased  me  very  much.  It  was  iriven  as  an  official 
statement  by  Minister  Hayashi.  and  in  it  he 
claimed  to  voice  public  sentiment  in  Japan,  when 
he  said  that  he  was  convinced  that  the  cause  of 
eivili/ation.  as  well  as  a  community  of  interests, 
'demands  lasting  peace  and  friendship  Let  ween 
the  two  nations  bordering  !he  Pacific'." 


THE  DINNER  PARTY  289 

"That  is  true,"  said  Inazo  Motora,  earnestly. 
"It  is  really  education  that  people  need  most  of 
all,  and  in  Japan  we  are  thoroly  alive  to  that 
necessity." 

"I  have  heard,  Mr.  Motora,"  said  Madam  Wort- 
ley,  "that  some  of  your  great  patriots  had  given 
or  were  giving  time  and  energy  and  money  to  the 
founding  of  good  schools,  industrial  and  musical, 
as  well  as  ordinary  high  schools  and  universities. 
I  regard  that  as  a  very  good  omen  for  a  bright 
future  in  Japan." 

"Of  course  people  need  education — lots  of  it — 
and  that  is  part  of  the  work  we  socialists  are  doing 
everywhere,"  remarked  Bruce  Ericson.  "We  real 
ize  fully  that  there  are  laws  governing  the  processes 
of  time,  and  that  the  records  of  history,  showing 
so  miKjh  cruelty  and  crime  and  misery  are  conse 
quences  of  'the  fact  that  man  has  to  be  lashed  to 
his  goal  thru  the  darkness,  instead  of  marching  to 
it  in  the  light.'  We  can  now  see  the  object  of  all 
past  and  present  suffering  is  'to  get  some  kind  of 
an  organism  that  shall  be  capable  of  maintaining 
itself  in  a  world  of  ferocious  strife,'  and  'be  able 
to  withstand  all  enemies  that  may  come  against  it. 
and  all  rebellions  that  may  arise  within  it,'  and " 

Glen  Harding  caught  the  look  of  distress  in  her 
sister's  eyes,  and  broke  in  with  an  earnest,  "Do 
please  stop  repeating  those  horrible  errors,  Mr. 
Ericson.  This  world  is  a  delightful  place,  and 
there  never  has  been  or  can  be  any  reason  in 
nature's  laws  for  persons  to  live  in  it  on  any  other 
terms  than  those  of  friendly  association." 


890  TIIK  son.  OF  TIIK  WORLD 

llrure  Krirsoii  smiled  ;i  little  lit-  had  not  seen 
the  distress  of  his  liost.-ss  ;md  rout  inued.  "Really. 
Miss  Harding,  when  you  ivali/e  tin-  constant 
struggle  for  life,  and  that  no  one  can  irrt  rid  of 
this  curse  of  living — continual  change — 

4 'Excuse  the  interruption,  Mr.  Ericson,"  Mrs. 
Fujita  exclaimed,  "but  do  tell  us  what  you  mean 
by  calling  change  a  'curse.'  Would  you  be  better 
off  today  if  you  had  not  changed  any  since  you 
were,  let  us  say,  five  months  or  tive  years  old?" 

"I  don't  mean  that  sort  of  thing.  Of  course  we 
all  grow.  I  mean  that  I  want  .Miss  Harding  to  see 
the  important  part  that  the  age-long  struggle  has 
taken  iu  bringing  to  perfection  an  organization 
that  now  gives  people  the  power  to  choose — they 
must  choose  SIM, n  and  suddenly  'between  an  Indus 
trial  Republic  and  a  political  empire.  Either  they 
will  take  the  instruments  and  means  of  production 
and  produce  for  use  and  not  for  profit;  or  else  they 
will  forge  themselves  into  an  engine  of  war,  to  be 
wielded  by  a  military  despot'." 

Jack  Romaine  laughed.  "Now  see  here,  Bruce, 
don't  waste  your  breath  carrying  coals  to  New 
castle.  If  I  had  not  sworn  off  on  betting" — hero 
Glen  Harding  east  a  quick  glance  at  Mrs.  Romaine. 
and  the  new  look  of  happiness  in  the  older  woman's 
•  yes  told  her  one  reason  why  Jack's  mother  had 
so  heartily  seconded  Mr.  Wyun's  efforts  to  enlist 
her  son  in  a  great  cause — "I  would  wager  a  good 
deal,  Bruce,  that  Miss  Hardiu«_r  understands  social 
ism  better  this  minute  than  you  or  I  ever  will." 

Glen    Harding   smiled    brightly    on    her   champion. 


THE  DINNER  PARTY  291 

as  she  remarked,  "1  can  at  least  claim  to  have  read 
Mr.  Sinclair's  Industrial  Republic  very  carefully." 

The  young  socialist  looked  pleased:  "Then, 
surely,  Miss  Harding,  you  will  acknowledge  that 
the  book  is  a  remarkably  strong  one." 

Glen  Harding  shook  her  head.  "Self-contradic 
tion  is  hardly  an  evidence  of  strength,"  she  said, 
gravely. 

"Self-contradiction!  What  can  you  mean?" 
The  young  man's  voice  expressed  genuine  surprise. 

"Take,  as  an  instance,"  Glen  Harding  hastened 
to  illustrate,  "Mr.  Sinclair's  statement  in  the  first 
part  of  his  book  that  'the  productive  possibilities 
of  the  soil  have  not  only  not  been  attained,  but  are, 
so  far  as  science  can  now  see,  absolutely  unattain 
able.'  Further  along  he  lays  stress  on  a  point  he 
wants  made  'absolutely  clear,'  that  'the  Industrial 
Republic  will  be  an  organization  for  the  supply  of 
the  material  necessities  of  human  life,'  because  'the 
products  of  industry  are  strictly  limited  in  quan 
tity,'  and  'no  man  can  have  more  than  his  fair 
share  .  .  .  without  depriving  his  neighbor.' 
Mr.  Sinclair  then  adds  that,  'it  is  in  consequence  of 
this  fact  that  laws  and  systems  are  necessary  with 
the  things  of  the  body'." 

"Nature  is  quite  impartial  in  its  operations,  even 
today,"  observed  Inazo  Motora. 

"It  ought  to  be,  but  is  not,  or  I  would  not  find 
it  necessary  to  work  for  equal  freedom,"  said 
Ernest  Wynn,  quickly.  "Human  legislation  pre 
vents  nature  from  operating  impartially,  and 


IM  THK  SOUL  OF  THE  WOKLD 

nothing  hut  the  abolit  ion  of  tli;it  legislation  will 
make  it  possible  for  it  to  so  operate." 

1  'How's  that,  Mr.  Wynn?"  questioned  Abbott 
Morgan.  "Legislation  cannot  interfere  with  the 
law  that  it  rains  alike  on  the  just  and  unjust." 

"That's  true,  Mr.  Morgan."  Ernest  Wynn 
smiled  witli  the  rest.  "Nature  yields  as  bounti 
fully  to  the  slave  as  to  the  free  person,  regardless 
of  the  human  legislation  which  robs  the  former. 
But  human  legislation  enables  appropriators  to 
utilize  natural  forces  to  rob  producers." 

"Under  any  sort  of  just  conditions  that  could  not 
be,  and  I  assume  that  Mr.  Sinclair  considers 
socialism  just.  Then  how  can  it  be  correct  to  say 
that  'the  products  of  industry  are  strictly  limited' 
when  the  bottom  of  our  resources  is  'absolutely 
unattainable.'  and  we  are  all  supposed  to  be  free 
to  diir  out  as  much  as  we  please?"  queried  Will 
Dennison,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

A  smile  flickered  over  several  of  the  faces  at  the 
table,  but  Bruce  Ericson  only  looked  puzzled,  and 
ratlin-  blank,  as  Madam  Wort  ley  said:  "Tf  we  had 
e(jiial  freedom  in  the  use  of  the  earth,  it  would,  by 
Mr.  Sinclair's  own  statement,  take  away  all 
LToiimN  on  which  to  base  a  socialist  system.  1  shall 
consider  myself  an  equitist  hereafter." 

"Now  that's  good  news.  Madam  Wortley,"  said 
her  host.  "It's  a  big  .thing  to  count  you  one  of 
us." 

"Inde.-d  it  is."  exclaimed  Glen  Ilanlinir.  her  face 
liirht  inir  up  with  pleasure.  "Oh,  Madam  Wortley, 
your  taking  a  stand  for  equal  freedom  will  mean 


THE  DINNER  PAETY  293 

so  much  for  the  spread  of  the  truth — the  law  of 
human  association  based  on  a  balanced  land  tenure, 
real  equal  freedom — among  Club  women  every 
where." 

"I  must  confess  that  I  don't  understand  what 
you  are  all  driving  at."  The  young  socialist  still 
looked  blank. 

"I  think  I  see  the  point,  Bruce,"  said  Jack 
Romaine.  "Shall  I  try  to  explain?"  He  looked 
toward  his  hostess. 

"Yes,  do,  Jack,"  she  smiled,  brightly,  as  she  met 
his  eager  glance. 

"Don't  you  see,  Bruce,"  looking  across  the  table 
at  his  friend,  "that  if  the  limits  of  production  of 
the  soil  are  'absolutely  unattainable'  and  we  are 
all  equally  free  to  get  at  it,  we  could  not,  any  one 
of  us,  get  more  or  less  than  that  one  chose  to  earn. 
With  plenty  of  land — and  nature  provides  that — 
we  could  have  no  excuse  for  interfering  with  each 
other.  Nobody  could  get  more  or  less  than  a  fair 
share  under  such  a  condition — and  I  think  it's  one 
decidedly  worth  working  for,"  he  ended,  with  a 
glow  of  enthusiasm. 

"Oh,  well,  that  may  be  all  right,"  retorted  his 
friend,  "but  you  cannot  get  it  by  any  jump  from 
capitalism.  I  know  the  people  will — they  must — 
choose  the  Industrial  Republic,  and  do  it  soon." 

"How  soon,  Mr.  .Kricson?"  nslml  Tnazo  Motora, 
looking  interested. 

"I  cannot  tell  exactly,  but  probably  within  ten 
years,  maybe  five;  but  it  is  'safe  to  say  that  there 
will  be  as  little  change  as  possible  in  the  business 


nil-:  sou.  or  Tin;  WOULD 

methods  of  the  country  ...  so  little  that  the 
man  who  should  come  back  and  look  at  it  from  the 
outside,  would  not  even  know  that  any  change  had 
taken  pi.- 

"How  can  you  say  that,  .Mi-.  Kricson?"  exclaimed 
.Madam  \Yortley,  in  surprise.  "That  is  certainly 
not  what  1  had  understood  as  socialism,  or  what 
socialism  would  be.  We  need  such  a  decided  change 
in  our  business  methods  outside  and  inside — that 
the  ditVerenee  will  he  visible  at  least  as  far  off  as 
persons  and  business  houses  can  be  seen,"  she  con 
cluded,  with  spirit. 

"That's  so,  Madam  Wortley,"  emphasized  Will 
Dennison. 

"But  really,  don't  you  see  there  is  no  choice  for 
us  except  between  socialism  and  capitalism.' 
Surely,  no  one  here  wants  the  continuation  of  the 
present  unjust  conditions'"  Bruce  Ericson  glance! 
around  the  table  with  a  little  smile  of  triumph. 

"Assuredly  not,"  said  Mrs.  Dennison.  as  sin- 
met  his  glance,  "but  I  thought  you  just  said  social 
ism  would  not  bring  any  visible  change — at  Jeast 
in  business:  and  that  is  perfectly  dreadful  now!" 

"There  is  a  third  possibility  which  Mr.  Ericson 
has  not  mentioned,"  Krnest  Wynn  quietly  observed. 
"That  is  to  secure  equal  freedom,  and  actual  self- 
•j'-veniiin-iit.  thru  the  establishment  and  mainte 
nance  of  a  balanced  land  tenure." 

"I  told  my  friend  all  about  that  yesterday,  Mr. 
\V\nn.  and  gave  him  some  of  your  leaflets  to  read," 
put  in  -lack  Komaine.  "Didn't  you  read  them. 
Bruce?" 


THE  DINNER  PARTY  295 

"Oh,  yes,  certainly.  But  they  appear  to  contain 
only  far  away,  impracticable  ideas.  Now  socialism 
will  give  us  equal  freedom  at  once,  and — 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Ericson,  but  how  cen  there  be 
equal  freedom  when  some  persons  are  given  the 
privilege  of  ruling  others?"  broke  in  Ernest  Wynn. 

"You  don't  understand!  'The  Industrial  Repub 
lic  will  be  a  government  of  the  people,  by  the  peo 
ple,  for  the  people.  ...  It  will  be  administered 
by  elected  officials  and  its  equal  benefits  »will  be  the 
elemental  right  of  every  citizen.'  '' 

"But  that  is  neither  equal  freedom  nor  self- 
government,"  objected  Ernest  Wynn.  "Rulership 
of  some  by  others — whether  the  power  is  obtained 
by  election  or  otherwise — is  necessarily  a  special 
privilege,  and  it  is  avoidable  only  thru  a  balanced 
land  tenure." 

"I  thought  you  people  were  single  taxers,  but  it 
seems  that  you  are  some  sort  of  anarchists?"  The 
young  socialist  looked  inquiringly  about,  from  Glen 
Harding  to  Mrs.  Fujita,  then  on  to  Ernest  Wynn 
and  their  host,  who  answered  the  question : — 

"We  used  to  be  single  taxers,  but  now  we  are 
equitists." 

"What  is  that?       I  don't  see  any  difference." 

"There  is  a  very  considerable  difference,  Mr. 
Ericson,"  Ernest  Wynn  took  up  the  explanation. 
"The  governmentalist,  whether  a  capitalist  or  a 
socialist,  says  there  is  a  natural  law,  but  that  it  is 
out  of  order  and  must  be  patched  up  by  human 
legislation.  The  anarchist  says  there  is  no  natural 
law,  either  to  follow  or  to  patch  up,  so  that  we 


Tin:  BQUL  or  Tin-:  \\< >I;LI> 

must  abolish  human  legislation  and  go  blindly  on. 
Tin-  rquilist  sa\s  there  is  a  natural  law,  that  it  is 
in  perfect  working  order,  and  that  all  we  have  to 
do  is  to  discover  it  and  conform  tuir  action^  to  it — 
without  coercing  one  another.9' 

"1  thiuk  you  arc  right.  Air.  \Yynn,"  .Madam 
\Vorllcy  *s  pleasant  tones  broke  in.  "Jt  is  freedom 
we  need,  not  rulership  of  any  sort/' 

"It  is  self-evident,"  continued  Krnest  Wynn, 
"that  whatever  is  cither  more  or  less  than  nec 
essary  to  maintain  equal  freedom  will  produce 
unequal  fi-ced'-m.  which  is  inequity  advanl, 
for  some  and  disadvantages  for  others.  It  is 
demonstrable  that  politieal  action  for  anything 
more  or  less  than  a  balanced  land  tenure  is  not 
necessary  to  equal  freedom." 

"That  sounds  as  tho  yon  were  at  least  a  hun 
dred  yea  is  ahead  of  your  time,  Mr.  \Yynn." 
remarked  Abbott  Morgan.  "It's  a  state  of  per 
fection  you  cannot  hope  to  attain  with  any  present- 
day  people." 

"Come  now,  Morgan,  you  don't  really  believe 
that  we  people  here  are  as  stupid  as  all  that?" 
his  hoM  smilingly  retorted. 

"A  great  many  people  have  made  that  remark 
to  me  during  the  last  few  years,"  said  Ernest 
Wynn.  "To  me  it  seems  that  the  assertion  that 
any  one  is  one  hundred  or  more  years  ahead  of  va's 
time  is  of  that  innumerable  host  ,,f  mantrams  that 
are  used  to  justify  and  excuse  the  neglect  to  recog- 
ni/.e  one's  responsibility  for  current  inequity,  and 
is  nf  the  same  soj-i  as  that  assertion  of  inherited 


THE  DINNEE  PARTY  297 

savagery,  and  slow  evolution  by  which  nature  will 
right  all  wrongs  and  we  be  relieved  from  exert 
ing  ourselves  to  do  the  simple  things  necessary  to 
change  conditions  we  all  admit  are  wrong  and 
growing  ever  more  unendurable." 

"I  have  read  some  of  your  leaflets,  that  Mrs. 
Fujita  gave  me  a  few  days  ago,  Mr.  Wynn,  and, 
to  my  mind,  your  balanced  land  tenure  seems 
merely  a  matter  of  fine  distinctions  and  hard  to 
understand,"  remarked  Dr.  Lloyd. 

"Does  it  not  seem  so  to  you  because  of  its  very 
simplicity  and  clearness?"  questioned  Ernest  Wynn, 
with  a  slight  smile. 

The  doctor  looked  puzzled.  "What  do  you 
mean?" 

"I  think  I  understand,"  said  Mrs.  Fujita, 
eagerly.  "We  have  been  so  long  accustomed  to 
look  upon  our  complex  civilization  as  a  great  and 
wonderfully  progressive  thing  that  when  a  simple 
truth  appears  before  us  in  the  midst  of  our  com 
plicated  machinery  of  living,  it  seems  a  strange 
and  mysterious  thing  to  us — the  contrast  is  so 
sharp." 

Dr.  Lloyd  laughed  pleasantly.  "That's  well 
put,  Helen,  and  maybe  you  are  right." 

"Don't  you  see,  Dr.  Lloyd,"  said  Ernest  Wynn, 
returning  to  the  charge,  "that  an  imperfect  tenure 
of  land  must  necessarily  involve  imperfections  in 
human  association?  That  perfectly  equitable  rela 
tions  cannot  exist  between  persons  subject  to  an 
imperfect  land  tenure  system." 

"It's  the  fine  spun  distinctions  you  make  between 


Tin:  son.  or  TIII-:  WOULD 

tin-  single  tax  and  what  ymi  call  a  balanced  land 
tenure  that  I'm  ob.jeetin^  to."  explained  Dr.  Lloyd. 
"The  people  are  easily  educated  t<>  see  the  unearned 
ineiviiient  ,,t'  wealth  by  the  landlords  as  1  advo 
cate  it,  for  I  have  made  hundreds  of  converts;  and 
your  theory  is  hard  for  me  to  see  the  point  to.  It 
will  take  too  imieh  study  for  average  persons  to 
pay  any  attention  to  it." 

"Yet  one  of  the  most  ardent  converts  I've  made 
BO  far."  said  Krnest  AVynn,  "and  om-  who  is  prov 
ing  his  sincerity  by  putting  his  whole  soul  and  most 
of  his  earnings  into  the  work  for  a  balanced  land 
tenure,  was  and  is  a  plain  day  laborer,  lie  is  a 
young  man  who  had  no  previous  knowledge  of 
sociology,  and  very  little  book  education  of  any 
suit.  Yet  he  had  no  difficulty  in  understanding 
my  explanation  of  a  balanced  land  tenure,  and  the 
necessity  for  its  establishment  and  maintenance  as 
the  only  way  to  have  equal  freedom." 

"That  proves  my  point,  Dr.  Lloyd,"  said  Mrs. 
Fujita,  earnestly.  "The  young  man  understood  so 
readily  because  his  mind  was  free  from  the  errors 
and  prejudices,  on  sociology,  which  our  so-called 
education  has  fixed  -all  too  firmly--in  the  minds 
of  most  of  us." 

"1  suppose  the  yoiin.i:  fellow  liked  what  was  told 
him,  and  maybe  thought  he  understood  it."  was 
the  reply.  "lint  such  articles  as  those  you  loaned 
me  do  not  appear  to  add  anything  to  the  real 
knowledge  of  the  world." 

"How  can  you  say  that,  Dr.  Lloyd?"  exclaimed 
|fn,  Fujita.  "It  is  <|iiite  plain  to  me  that  in  dis- 


THE  DINNER  PARTY  299 

covering  the  source  of  real  rent — that  amount  we 
cannot  escape  paying  without  unbalancing  the  land 
tenure — and  therefore  of  exactly  what  constitutes 
a  balanced  land  tenure,  Mr.  Wynn  has  added  an 
item  of  the  most  vital  importance  to  the  world's 
stock  of  knowledge.  It  is  nothing  less  than  a  clear 
slntement  of  the  law  of  nature  Controlling  harmo 
nious  human  association." 

"But,  really,  Helen,"  insisted  the  placid  doctor, 
"I  don't  see  that  Mr.  Wynn's  opinion  on  such  a 
question  has  any  more  weight  than  yours  or  mine." 

"Certainly  not."  Ernest  Wynn  took  up  the 
word.  "But  this  is  not  a  question  of  opinion,  it  is 
a  question  of  fact.  If  my  discovery  is  true,  the 
law  always  existed — since  persons  lived  on  earth — 
and  always  will  exist.  It  was  there  for  anyone  to 
discover.  It  is  there  now,  for  anyone  to  prove." 

"I  constantly  see  accounts  of  new  discoveries  in 
the  daily  papers  and  technical  journals,"  said  Dr. 
Lloyd,  "and  I  believe  this  prompt  publication  is 
one  of  the  causes  of  the  rapid  progress  of  today. 
If  this  discovery  of  a  balanced  land  tenure  is  so 
important,  why  haven't  I  seen  it  in  the  papers?  At 
least  I  ought  to  have  seen  it  in  our  single  tax 
weekly. ' ' 

"Our  single  tax  weekly!  What's  that?  I  did  not 
know  we  had  one  any  more,"  said  Will  Dennison 
with  interest. 

The  doctor  looked  surprised.  "I  thought  you 
took  it,  Dennison.  Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  have 
called  it  a  single  tax  paper,  for  the  editor  says  it 
is  not  a  single  tax  paper,  and  I  presume  he  knows. 


300  THK  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

lie  calls  it  a  'journal  of  history  in  the  making/  hut 
ems  to  depend  on  single  taxers  for  its  content- 
and  finances,  and  most  of  us  read  it.  so  the  mis 
nomer  slipped  out." 

Glen  Harding  looked  up  (piickly.  "I  think  a 
•journal  of  history  in  the  making'  is  a  misnomer 
for  a  periodical  that  refuses  to  make  any  note  of 
the  most  important  discovery  ever  made  in  sociolog 
ical  science.*' 

"It  is  quite  clear  to  me,"  said  Krm-st  Wynn. 
"that  one  of  the  causes  of  lack  of  progress  in  socio 
logical  science  is  the  conspiracy  of  silence  sup 
posedly  sociological  journals  maintain  regard  in;-; 
new  discoveries  in  that  fteienee." 

"I  read  the  paper  y.Mi  left  at  my  nfiire  for  m«- 
the  other  day,  Mr.  Wynn,"  Ahhott  .Morgan's  genial 
tones  now  sounded  again  around  the  table,  "and 
there  is  one  thing  in  it  with  which  I  fully  agree; 
where  yon  said  that  people  were  moved  by  their 
enmtimi  and  not  by  their  reason.  (Jo  out  to  talk 
to  the  people,  and  appeal  to  their  emotions,  and  they 
will  crowd  to  hear  you;  hut  try  to  talk  reason  to 
them  and  hardly  anyone  will  listen  to  you.  You 
may  make  a  martyr  of  yourself,  trying  to  get  peo 
ple  to  reason,  and  two  or  three  hundred  yeaj-s 
later,  perhaps,  someone  will  erect  a  monument  to 
your  memory." 

"And  yet  every  sane  adult  is  capable  of  under 
standing  the  plain  truth."  affirmed  (ilen  Harding. 

"Possibly,  but  I've  had  my  e\  pi-rime. •  trying  to 
ref.,rm  the  world,  and  I  don't  care  to  try  anything 
more  in  that  line  ii"W." 


THE  DINNER  PARTY  301 

"But,  Mr.  Morgan,"  spoke  Inazo  Motora,  thought 
fully,  "Ernst  Haeckel  shows  clearly  that  it  is  only 
thru  reason  that  we  can  attain  to  a  correct  knowl 
edge  of  the  world  and  solve  its  problems.  He 
points  out  that  'emotion  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  statement  of  truth,'  that,  in  fact,  the 
working  of  our  emotions  rather  hinders  the  interests 
of  truth." 

"I  freely  admit  that  the  imitative  state  that  be 
longs  to  immaturity  is  still  all  too  evident  among 
adults,"  said  Ernest  Wynn.  "Here  and  there  some 
one  or  more  individuals  have  developed  the  reason 
ing  capacity  to  the  point  of  dominance  over  the 
imitative  tendency.  But  humanity  has  not  yet 
entered  the  age  of  reason :  it  has  not  awakened  to  a 
consciousness  of  its  mature  mental  capacity.  The 
reason  for  this  is  to  be  found  only  in  the  fact  that 
human  relations  have  been  erroneously  based  on  a 
disregard  of,  or  failure  to  recognize,  nature's 
orderly  trend — on  an  unbalanced  land  tenure;  thru 
which  the  satisfaction  of  those  desires  that  are 
necessary  to  human  life  is  made  difficult  for  all  but 
the  advantaged  few.  Until  these  essentially  funda 
mental  desires  can  be  easily  satisfied  by  all  human 
ity,  the  necessities  of  human  existence  on  the  earth 
exhaust  all  received  vibrations  in  mere  imitative 
actions,  and  the  comparative  and  reflective  brain 
capacities  are  not  developed  beyond  the  point  of 
seeking  to  satisfy  these  fundamental  desires." 

"The  Japanese  are  using  some  mature  reason,  as 
well  as  their  imitative  faculties,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Fujita.  "So  they  find  it  easy  to  change  right  now." 


SOI  THE  SOUL  OF  TIIK   WOULD 

Ina/o  Motora  glanced  smilingly  around  tin-  table, 
saying,  " Fifty  years  ago  we  looked  upon  other  peo 
ples  as  barbarians.  Now  we  look  upon  them  as 
neighbors." 

"That  is  the  right  spirit,  and  all  nations  ought  to 
have  it."  said  (Jlen  Harding,  warmly.  Then  she 
turned  to  Abbott  Morgan:  "If  we  cannot  obtain 
correct  knowledge  thru  our  emotions,  Mr.  Morgan, 
then  is  not  'an  appeal  to  the  emotions'  of  persons 
distinctly  playing  the  part  of  a  tyrant  or  would-be 
ruler — trying  to  get  them  to  follow  us  in  slavish 
irrational  obedience?'7 

"I  admit  that  it  looks  a  little  that  way,  .Miss 
Harding,"  was  the  prompt  reply,  "but  I've  learned 
the  lesson  well,  that  to  try  to  do  anything  that  de 
pends  on  the  intelligent  sympathy  and  co-operation 
of  any  great  number  of  the  people  is  to  invite  dis 
appointment.  I'm  letting  the  people  alone  now  and 
attending  strictly  to  business." 

"Have  a  care.  .Morgan."  their  host's  good  natured 
voice  broke  in,  "or  you  will  find  yourself  as  hard 
up  as  our  multi-millionaire  friend  Jackson.  He  told 
me  not  long  ago.  that  lie  had  lost  the  power  to  be 
happy,  to  enjoy  life.  His  whole  life  had  been  given 
to  the  effort  to  pile  up  wealth,  and  now  he  has  more 
than  he  knows  what  to  do  with,  and  there  is  no 
longer  any  pleasure  in  accumulating  and  he  finds 
no  enjoyment  in  anything  else." 

"I'm  going  to  see  to  it  that  Mr.  .Jackson  has 
another  chance  to  l»e  happy,  .Mr.  Dennison.  Didn't 

von  see  him  at    the  meeting  the  other  niirhl  .' "  .lack 

It  i      ] 

lomame    asked. 


THE  DINNER  PAETY  303 

"Yes,  and  I  was  never  more  surprised/'  answered 
his  host.  "How  did  he  come  to  be  there?  He  got 
away  before  I  could  get  to  him,  after  the  meeting." 

"It  was  Jack's  doing,  Mr.  Dennison.  Mr.  Jack 
son  has  always  taken  a  special  interest  in  his  name 
sake."  Mrs.  Romaine  smiled  happily  on  her  'tall 
son.  "And  he  chanced  to  call,  011  the  afternoon  of 
that  day.  He  happened  to  say  something  similar 
to  his  remark  to  you,  Mr.  Dennison,  and  Jack 
urged  him  to  amuse  himself  by  going  to  that  meet 
ing — I  confess  I  was  a  bit  surprised,  tho  much 
pleased,  to  see  him  there." 

"I  told  him  it  would  at  least  pass  away  an  hour 
or  two  of  his  good-for-nothing  time,  and  he  might 
hear  something  worth  while,"  and  Jack  Romaine 
laughed,  tho  Glen  Harding  caught  a  resolute  glint 
in  his  eyes  as  he  went  on :  "I  was  sure  he 'd  be 
there,  and  I'll  keep  at  him  now  till  he's  a  thoro- 
going  equitist.  He  will  get  lots  of  pleasure  out  of 
having  something  real  interesting  and  worth  while 
to  do;  and  I  owe  many  a  good  time  to  my  father's 
old  friend." 

"You  are  a  brick,  Jack!"  his  host  beamed  on  the 
young  man. 

"I  have  often  wondered" — Dr.  Lloyd  leaned  com 
fortably  back  in  his  chair  as  the  maid  removed  his 
plate — "if  there  is  not  some  principle  in  nature  that 
will  make  things  come  out  right  sometime,  even 
tho  persons  do  nothing." 

"As  tho  there  was  any  principle  in  nature  that 
could  repeal  legislation  without  human  action!" 
exclaimed  Ernest  Wvnn. 


."."»  THI:  *uri,  or  TIM:  WORLD 

"Well,  anyway,"  persisted  the  doctor,  "if  you 
an-  L-oing  to  help  the  poor,  how  <-,-in  you  expert  to 
<lo  it  without  being  one  of  them.'  Have  you  ieeO 
the  new  single  tax  novel,  'A  Hroken  Lance'.'" 

"I  read  it  on  the  way  out  here,  Dr.  Lloyd,"  said 
Mrs!  Fujita. 

"I  have  a  copy,  what  about  it?"  questioned 
Krnest  \Vynn. 

"A  lesson  in  methods  for  yon,  .Mr.  \Vynn."  re 
torted  the  doctor,  with  a  slight  smile.  ''The  author 
Baya  of  one  of  his  principal  characters— you  must 
have  noticed  it — that  'he  felt  himself  weighed  and 
measured  and  valued,  and  classified  as  a  reformer 
who  wished  to  accomplish  reform  by  writing  and 
talking  about  the  poor,  rather  than  living  their  life. 
or  meeting  them  heart  to  heart;'  and  then  lie  has 
the  man  go  to  the  slums  to  live  and  work.  You 
don't  do  that?" 

"\Vliy  should  I.1''  smilingly  retorted  Krnest 
\Vynn.  "I'm  not  working  for  the  poor.  I'm  work 
ing  for  freedom.  It  makes  no  difference  to  me 
whether  John  Smith  is  a  pauper  or  a  millionaire. 
Ho  needs  freedom,  and  I  need  freedom,  and  that  is 
what  1  *m  working  for." 

"li  was  not  by  going  to  live  in  a  fetid  slum  that 
Henry  (leorL-e  won  his  followers,  Dr.  Lloyd."  his 
host  <ih x-rvcd.  sMiiling.  "You  and  1  read  his  books 
and  papers,  and  got  together  the  best  dressed 
crowd  we  could  to  hear  him.  when  he  lectured  out 
here.  It's  an  «-nl iirhtened  public  opinion  we  ne,-d 
now.  not  mere  charity  work  amouLf  the  poor." 

"Charity    work    seems    so    hopeless.     Dr.    Lloyd." 


THE  DINNER  PARTY  305 

said  Mrs.  Dennison,  earnestly,  "that  I  am  beginning 
to  take  a  great  interest  in  this  new  discovery.  If 
its  application  will  do  away  with  poverty,  then  the 
quickest  way  to  help  the  poor  is  to  aid  in  the  new 
propaganda." 

"But  must  not  reform  come  gradually,  step  by 
step,  when  it  does  come?  Is  not  that  the  best  way?" 
asked  Mrs.  Morgan,  who  had  been  listening,  silent 
but  attentive. 

"I  have  watched  many  movements,  and  am  quite 
sure  that  is  not  the  way  real — permanent — reform 
will  come,"  answered  Ernest  Wynn,  gravely.  "Not 
the  least  of  the  evils  of  step  by  step  reforms  is  their 
inevitable  tendency  to  concentrate  attention  on  the 
next  step,  and  then  to  be  contented  with  even  a 
partial  success  in  attaining  that  step.  One  of  the 
benefits  of  total,  unconditional,  abolition  movements 
is  the  tendency  to  concentrate  attention  on  the  final 
goal,  and  to  be  satisfied  with  nothing  short  of  its 
attainment.  This  latter  is  worth  far  more  to  the 
cause  of  human  freedom  than  any  temporary  relief 
that  a  partial  reform  may  bring,  for  it  generates 
and  sustains  enthusiasm — the  life  of  every  move 
ment." 

"In  working  for  a  balanced  land  tenure,"  said 
Glen  Harding,  "we  are  merely  pointing  out  a  nat 
ural  law,  which  has  only  to  be  recognized — under 
stood — to  be  accepted  by  all  intelligent  persons. 
Patrick  Edward  Dove  put  the  case  tersely  when  he 
said  that  'True  freedom,  however  simple  in  its 
theory,  is  the  highest'  'form  of  combined  society.  It 
is  the  whole  body  of  society  acting  on  the  prin- 


306  T1IK  SOUL  OF  THE  WOBLD 

ciples  of  knowledge  and  carrying  truth  into  prac 
tical  operation.'  How  soon  that  time  will  come  is 
now  only  a  question  of  how  fast  we  can  get  the 
truth  into  the  minds  of  people  generally." 

"That  need  not  take  long,"  said  .Madam  Wort- 
ley.  "News  e;<>rs  further  in  a  day  now  than  it  did 
in  a  year  in  my  youth  :" 

"A  message  can  *,fo  round  the  world  now  in  less 
time  than  it  took  a  hundred  years  ago  to  get  one 
to  the  next  town,"  said  Dr.  Lloyd. 

"Then  think  of  the  folly  of  supposing  it  will  take 
a  thousand  years  to  secure  changes  which  merely 
depend  on  getting  intelligent  people  to  recognize 
the  discovery  of  a  new — a  hitherto  unknown — law 
of  |>hvsi<-s."  Mi«rLre>ied  (Jlcn  Harding. 

'The  slow  step  by  step  plan  of  trying  to  win 
anything  makes  it  appear  that  the  cause — whatever 
it  is  the  reformers  are  working  for — is  not  a  thing 
to  be  won  right  here  and  now,  but  merely  something 
to  advocate  as  desirable  in  some  indefinitely  future 
time,"  remarked  Mrs.  Fujita. 

"That's  so,"  heartily  assented  Ernest  \V\nti: 
"and  that,  is  one  reason  the  Japanese  move  quicker 
than  some  other  folks.  The  difference  between  the 
rapidity  of  progress  of  modern  Japan  and  the  mod 
ern  oc.-ideiH  is  due  to  the  difference  in  their  real 
faiths.  The  Japanese  have  the  faith  they  call 
Bushido — which  involves  the  conviction  that  _they 
ean  do  anything  they  undertake.  They  can,  because 
they  think  they  can.  On  the  other  hand,  we  of  the 
western  world  are  largely  dominated  by  the  spirit 
of  Darwinism,  which  involves  the  conviction  that 


THE  DINNER  PARTY  307 

we  can  do  nothing  except  thru  the  course  of  many 
generations — the  slow  evolution  of  time — and  we 
cannot,  because  we  think  we  cannot.  The  Japanese 
belief  fills  them  with  enthusiasm  and  develops  all 
their  energies.  Our  belief  fills  us  with  apathy  and 
develops  our  inertia." 

Inazo  Motora's  expressive  face  lighted  up  with 
pleasure.  "You  have  a  very  clear  conception  of 
Japanese  character,  Mr.  Wynn,"  he  said. 

"I'm  afraid  that  picture  of  American  character 
is  also  true,"  observed  Will  Dennison.  "But  we 
can  change  it  mighty  quick,  now  that  we  have 
struck  a  solid  rock  to  stand  on,  and  have  some 
thing  worth  working  for." 

"That  we  will,"  exclaimed  Jack  Komainc. 

"But,  Mr.'  Dennison,  there  are  many  other  peo 
ple,  besides  Mr.  Wynn,  who  think  that  they  have 
found  the  only  solution,"  said  Mrs.  Morgan. 

"Well,  what  if  there  are?"  It  was  Ernest  Wynn 
who  smilingly  put  the  question. 

"Why,  how  is  one  to  know  who  is  right?  or 
that  any  of  them  are?"  Mrs.  Morgan  looked 
serious. 

"By  using  va's  own  judgment,  after  carefully 
considering  and  comparing  them.  There  is  no  other 
way  for  a  person  to  form  a  really  intelligent  opin 
ion.  I  ask  no  one  to  take  my  word  for  it.  I  ask 
no  more  for  the  proposition  of  a  balanced  land 
tenure  than  any  rational  person  should  ask  for  any 
proposition.  I  have  carefully  considered  all  the 
propositions  professing  to  solve  this  problem,  that 
I  have  yet  heard  of,  and  I  am  prepared  to  show 
why  they  are  all  inadequate.!' 


.308  Till-:  SOUL  OF  THE  WOBLD 

"Of  course  there  are  many  ways  in  which  we  can 
improve  ourselves,91  said  Madam  Wortley.  "hut 
do  you  actually  see  any  hope,  Mr.  Wynn,  of  socur- 
in.LT  a  balanced  land  tenure  in  our  own  day?" 

Krnest  Wynn  turned  upon  the  speaker  a  glowing 
face  and  shining  eyes  as  lie  answered:  "I  would 
stake  inv  life  on  it.  that  with  the  means  for  the 
riirht  sort  of  propaganda — and  we  are  now  assured 
"f  Hiat  a  balanc.-d  1;  .Ml  tenure  ran  be  made  the 
leading  question  in  the  United  States  in  five  years— 
«'i"d  become  fully  established  witliin  another  ten 


CHAPTER  15. 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE. 

"You  enjoy  Glen's  outings  so  much,  Helen,  that 
I've  planned  one  of  my  own  for  you,"  said  Mrs. 
Dennison,  one  morning,  at  breakfast.  "It's  to  be  a 
real,  old  fashioned  picnic,  and  is  coming  off  today. 
We  will  take  Mrs.  Dent  and  the  children  along, 
so  be  ready  to  start  when  the  others  come.  I  expect 
them  about  nine  o  'clock. " 

"That's  fine,  thank  you  heartily,  Mrs.  Dennison. 
I'm  sure  to  enjoy  anything  you  get  up  for  me." 

"Where  are  we  going,  Birdie?"  asked  her  sister, 
"and  who  are  the  others?" 

Mrs.  Dennison  laughed.  "Only  to  Devil's  Gate, 
Glen — we  can  come  back  thru  the  hills — and  the 
others  are  a  few  friends.  You  will  see  when  they 
get  there.  I  thought  Helen  might  like  to  see  the 
yuccas  in  bloom — close  by — and  there  are  a  lot  of 
them  now  up  there  on  the  western  hills.  Besides, 
you  have  taken  her  about  everywhere,  from  the 
top  of  Mount  Wilson  to  the  other  side  of  Catalina 
Island — except  to  our  wild  little  gorge  right  here 
at  home." 

"True  enough!  We  have  never  stopped  there. 
I  don't  see  how  I  came  to  miss  that,  Birdie!  I'll  fly 
round  and  get  my  work  done  and  be  ready  by 
nine." 

"Auntie    Glen!      Auntie    Glen!"    Merwvn    came 


BIO  Tin:  sou.  or  TIII-: 

rushing    around     tin-    house.     "They    are 

Such  a  |»jir  ,-ar,  and  full  of  people.     Papa  is  iroing, 

too.     Won't  it  be  fun?" 

"Yes,  indeed.  We  will  have  a  line  lime  today!" 
She  took  the  little  hand  held  out,  and  they  raced 
around  the  house,  to  find  .lake  and  the  maids 
carry'm.i:  hampers  and  baskets  Inward  a  lar.ire.  sight 
seeing  car  at  the  entrance.  It  sremed  already 
pretty  well  filled.  ll«»\ve\vr.  when  their  own  little 
crowd  reached  the  car,  they  found  plenty  of  room, 
and  managed  to  exchange  lively  ^reet  in.irs  with  their 
friends  as  they  climbed  into  the  waiting  seats. 

Glen  Harding  looked  about  as  the  car  started. 
Yes,  they  were  all  there!  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norwood, 
(I race  Knight,  Motora,  Tre.mont  and  Wynn !  Yet  the 
whole  thing  had  the  air  of  a  family  jaunt.  She 
Found  herself  seated  beside  Jna/o  Motora,  with 
Grace  Knight  on  her  other  side.  "When  did  you 
get  back?"  she  asked  the  latter. 

"Only  last  evening.  Daisy  wrote  that  Mrs.  Den- 
nisou  especially  wanted  me  for  today.  So  I  hurried 
back.  Your  sister  does  plan  the  most  splendid 
times!" 

"Indeed  she  does/1  was  the  hearty  reply.  "I 
think  Birdie  has  made  up  a  very  good  crowd  this 
time.  You  have  not  been  at  Devil's  Gate  yet?" 

"No,  it  will  be  new  to  me." 

"Now,"  said  Mrs.  Dennison.  when  the  car  was 
under  the  live  oaks  at  the  side  of  the  top  of  the 
gorge,  "I  want  you  people  to  scatter  about  and 
enjoy  yourselves.  You  will  hear  the  horn  blow 
when  it  is  time  to  vr«'t  back  for  lunch.  Helen,  there 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  311 

are  lovely  yuccas  over  there,"  and  she  pointed  to 
the  western  hills,  where  the  tall,  white,  waxen 
points  showed  here  and  there  above  the  chaparral. 

"Oh,  Glen,  I  would  so  like  to  climb  up  and  get 
a  picture  of  that  yucca,"  exclaimed  her  friend,  after 
scanning  the  hillside  to  which  Mrs.  Dennison  had 
directed  her  attention.  She  indicated  a  particu 
larly  large  plant  some  distance  up  the  mountain. 
"Do  you  think  we  could  get  it?  I  must  leave 
Irene?" 

"Mrs.  Dent  and  I  will  take  good  care  of  Irene. 
You  go  and  get  your  picture — but  don't  get  lost 
in  the  chaparral,"  Mrs.  Dent  concluded,  smiling. 

"It  is  quite  possible  to  get  lost  in  such  a  growth 
as  there  is  over  there — in  more  distant  parts  of 
the  mountains,"  confirmed  Glen  Harding.  "We 
can  get  to  that  yucca  if  you  don't  mind  a  few 
scratches." 

"Not  a  bit,  I  want  the  picture — and  we  have  on 
strong  gowns." 

"All  right.  Who  wants  to  go  with  us?"  Glen 
Harding  looked  about,  and  Arthur  Tremont  was 
instantly  at  her  side,  while  Grant  Norwood  joined 
Mrs.  Fujita  and  offered  to  lead  the  way.  "It's 
likely  to  be  pretty  hard  getting  thru  the  bushes — 
the  growth  is  so  thick  after  the  rains  we've  had," 
he  said. 

Merwyn  and  Fay  were  coaxing  their  father  and 
Ernest  Wynn  to  go  with  them  down  into  the  gorge 
and  let  them  slide  on  the  rocks,  and  the  group 
finally  turned  off  that  way. 

"You  had  better  go  up  the  mountain,  too,  Grace," 


-I-  Till-:  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

said  her  sister.     "I  am  going  to  stay  here  mid  visit 
with  Birdie." 

Grace  Knight  was  talking  to  Inazo  Motora.  and 
tho  he  decidedly  preferred  to  follow  the  lead  of 
Glen  Harding,  he  was  far  too  polite  to  show  any 
trace  of  impatience,  or  appear  to  notice  that  the 
others  had  started,  until  his  companion  remarked: 
"Let  us  go  over  on  the  other  side,  too,  Mr.  Motora. 
I  don't  care  to  scramble  thru  the  hushes,  but  there's 
a  good  trail  and  some  fine  views,  my  sister  told  me." 

Inazo  Motora  started  after  the  others  with  an 
alacrity  that  did  not  escape  the  <|iiiek  eyes  of  Mrs. 
Norwood,  who  noticed  also  the  lingering  stop  011 
the  bridge  to  look  up  and  down  the  Arroyo. 

"'Flint  man's  manners  are  perfect,  J'.irdie."  she 
said,  as  she  and  her  friend  scrambled  about  among 
the  piled  up  rocks,  looking  for  comfortable  seats 
that  would  command  a  view  of  as  much  of  the  gorge 
and  hillside  as  could  be  secured  from  one  point. 
"I  know  Mr.  Motora  wants  to  go  up  there  with  the 
others,  and  Grace  is  just  tantalizing  him  l>y  keeping 
him  with  her;  but  he  is  too  polite  to  show  a  bit 
of  it.  Do  you  think  he  will  get  Glen?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  Daisy.  I  cannot  make 
<IIen  out  a  bit,  when  it  comes  to  those  men!  I 
don't  feel  near  as  afraid  of  her  marrying  Mr.  Tre- 
mont  as  I  did  for  a  while.  I  feel  sure  Mr.  \Vynn 's 
'•omiii'-r  lias  put  an  end  to  that — if  it  ev«P  <-ould 
have  l.cen  possible." 

"1  M.-v.-r  had  any  idea  she  would  marry  Arthur 
Tremont.  Birdie.  I  cannot  make  out  why  (Jrant  is 
80  bcwi1ch"d  over  the  notion.  Now.  (Jra<-e  would 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  313 

be  much  better  suited  to  him — and  try  to  enter  into 
everything  he  liked." 

"Yes,  she  seems  to  admire  him  as  Glen  does  Mr. 
Motora.  Arthur  Tremont  appears  to  be  a  fine 
enough  man,  personally,  and  Glen  is  certainly 
interested  in  some  of  the  things  he  is,  and  yet  T 
feel  sure  she  could  never  be  quite  contented  with 
him." 

"There's  one  queer  thing  about  it,  tho,  Birdie. 
When  Grace  and  Grant,  and  even  Mr.  Tremont,  are 
talking  about  their  metaphysics  and  things  they 
sound  to  me  as  tho  they  didn't  really  understand, 
half  the  time,  what  they  mean  themselves ;  but  when 
Glen  starts  in  on  her  ancient  religion,  or  recollec 
tions  of  the  past,  it  sounds  as  tho  she  knew  exactly 
what  she  was  talking  about!  It  sounds  just  the 
same  as  when  she  tells  us  this  plant  is  poison  oak, 
or  those  gray  patches  over  there  are  white  sage." 

Mrs.  Dennison  looked  a  little  startled.  "Why, 
Daisy,  I've  had  that  same  feeling  several  times  when 
listening  to  them.  I  wonder  what  it  is?" 

"I  believe  Glen  knows  more  than  Mr.  Tremont 
does  about  some  of  the  things  they  discuss — tho 
I'm  not  a  very  competent  judge,  I  admit." 

"Well,  Daisy,  I  will  have  a  talk  with  Glen  the 
first  chance  I  have,  but  we  are  so  on  the  go  now,  and 
everything  is  rushed,  to  give  Mrs.  Fujita  a  good 
time  to  remember,  of  her  last  days  as  an  American. 
Of  course  she  will  be  likely  to  visit  here  again  when 
Irene  is  older,  but  it  will  never  be  just  the  same 
after  she  has  made  a  home  in  Japan." 

"I  wonder  if  Glen  will  go,  too?    Sometimes,  when 


314  TIIK  SOUL  or  TNI-:  WORLD 

I  have  seen  them  together,  I  have  felt  sure  of  it," 
said  Mrs.  Norwood.  "There,  Grace  is  starting  on 
at  last." 

Th»'  others  had  already  climbed  the  steep  trail 
leading  up  from  the  road.  "Now,  Iljelen,"  said 
her  friend,  "we  must  keep  in  mind  the  points  we 
located,  or  we  eaimot  lind  your  yucca.  It's  fortu 
nate  that  Mr.  Norwood  is  so  tall!  lie  can  get  his 
li«  ,id  above  the  chaparral  now  and  then,  and  act 
;K  Lruide." 

Grant  Norwood  started  on,  and  they  all  followed 
tin-  trail  for  some  distance,  until  they  reached  its 
highest  point,  from  which  there  was  a  glorious  out 
look,  over  the  tree-embowered  city,  and  down  thru 
the  narrow,  precipitous  gorge  at  their  feet,  to  the 
wider  sweep  of  the  Arroyo  beyond.  Far  down,  in 
the  bottom  of  the  gorge,  a  tiny  stream  flowed,  and 
the  merry  shouts  of  Merwyn  and  Pay  came  up  to 
them;  a  part  of  nature's  sounds  of  joyous  freedom. 
The  birds  sang  about  them;  they  even  eaujrht  a 
fleeting  glimpse  of  a  coyote  disappearing  under  the 
hushes  on  the  farther  side  of  a  little  gully.  Look  HILT 
down  again  into  the  gorge,  they  saw  Will  Dennismi 
and  Krnest  Wynn  apparently  enj/a.ired  iu  an  ani 
mated  e<m versa!  i<m.  and  seemingly  oblivious  of  their 
siirnumdinirs.  The  two  figures  on  the  bridge  had 
disappeared,  and  as  (ilen  Harding  caught  sight  of 
them  lower  on  the  trail,  she  called  out: — 

".Miss  Kniirht.  Miss  Knight!  Do  eome  up  here. 
It's  tine!"  AVhirh  had  the  effect,  to  Ina/.o  Motora's 
delight,  of  starting  them  toward  the  others.  They, 
however,  eoiild  not  wait  on  (Jraee  KniLrht's  slow 
movements. 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  315 

"We  must  leave  the  trail  and  take  to  the  bushes 
here,  Helen,"  said  her  friend,  and  they  started  up 
the  steep  hillside,  with  Grant  Norwood  in  the  lead, 
and  the  twTo  friends  close  behind,  while  Arthur  Tre- 
mont  brought  up  the  rear.  It  was  a  decidedly 
scrambly,  scratchy  walk,  for  the  chaparral  was  a 
perfect  tangle  in  places,  and  the  thorny  branches 
and  unkempt  stems  caught  on  hair  and  hats  and 
gowns,  and  even  on  the  coats  of  the  men,  threaten 
ing  to  tear  to  shreds  the  thin  material  the  heat  of 
the  day  had  compelled  them  to  wear.  The  four 
kept  on,  pushing  aside  the  branches,  stooping  almost 
to  a  crawl  in  places — in  fact,  they  had  to  descend  to 
hands  and  knees  for  two  or  three  yards  in  one  place, 
where  the  live  oak  shrubs  fenced  them  in  and  left 
only  a  green  tunnel  for  them  to  get  thru. 
Everywhere  they  had  to  look  out  for  the  hundred 
bayonets  of  the  old  plants;  now  a  single  dry  stem 
writh  its  surrounding  armory  of  points;  then  whole 
groups  and  rows  of  the  sharper  than  needle-weap- 
oned  plants.  But  they  enjoyed  it  hugely — all  but 
one.  Other  thoughts  than  getting  thru  a  tangle 
of  bushes  occupied  the  mind  of  Arthur  Tremont, 
and  he  was  waiting  for  an  opportunity. 

On  they  went,  up  the  mountain ;  then  veered 
toward  the  yucca,  seen  an  instant,  to  be  lost  as 
quickly.  They  slipped  and  sprang  down  one  side 
of  a  rather  deep  gully,  then  climbed  up  the  other, 
and  again  plunged  into  the  bushes  for  another 
struggle  toward  the  goal.  It  was  a  sort  of  surprise 
to  come  out  suddenly  onto  a  wide,  open  space, 
carpeted  with  bright  green  grass  and  with  masses 


316  THE  SOUL  OF  THK  WORLD 

and  mats  of  lovely  wild  liowers,  in  pink  and  blue 
and  yellow. 

"How  perfectly  delightful  it  is  here!''  exelainn -d 
Mis.  Fujita,  as  they  all  paused  to  take  breath  and 
look  about.  "Hut  1  must  find  my  yucca.  Is  not 
that  it,  Glen?'1  She  pointed  to  a  tall,  white  taper, 
a  little  higher  up  tin-  mountain  side.  "Can  \\v  geJ 
to  it,  Mr.  Norwood?" 

''Certainly,  if  you  are  not  too  tired  -or 
scratched. " 

Grant  Norwood  started  on  again,  closely  followed 
liy  .Mrs.  Fujita,  with  her  friend  beside  her;  but  that 
did  not  suit  Arthur  Tremont,  at  all,  and  when  the 
tangle  of  chaparral  again  separated  the  friemU. 
he  managed  to  delay  Glen  Harding  by  asking  the 
name  of  a  part ieularly  bright,  aggressively  cheer- 
1'ul  pink  tl<>wer.  which  grew  in  wide  patches  ami 
straggling  groups,  and  even  single  bright  stars, 
thru  the  open  space  and  all  about,  where  it  looked 
especially  pretty  against  the  dark  bushes.  He 
had  been  rather  diligently  engaged  in  that  form 
of  botanical  study  all  the  way  up.  It  was  so  pleas 
ant  to  be  near  her  and  to  note  the  glow  in  her  face 
and  the  brightness  of  her  eyes  as  she  turned  to 
answer  his  questions.  Was  it  all  due  to  the  sun 
shine  and  exercise?  Oh — dared  he  hope  that  she 
Chared  his  pleasure  in  the  companionship?  His 
heart  beat  faster  at  the  thought,  and  he  wished  he 
could  be  sure  the  others  had  gone  beyond  hearing. 
II.-  Looked  ah'.nt.  They  were  nowhere  to  be  seen. 
Should  he  speak. 

"What  flowers?"  Glen  I  larding  was  saying.   "Oh, 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  317 

I  see.  That  is  the  Cauchalaria,  or  California  Cen 
tenary.  I  like  it  so  well  because  of  its  bright, 
wide  awake  look." 

Arthur  Tremont  stooped  to  gether  a  few  of  the 
flowers  as  he  said,  "I'll  keep  these  to  help  me 
remember  the  name."  He  took  out  a  note  book, 
and,  rather  deliberately,  found  a  place  in  which  to 
press  them — if  only  he  could  keep  her  there  a  few 
moments  until  he  was  more  sure  the  others  were 
out  of  earshot  he  might  say  some  of  the  things  that 
were  almost  choking  him  in  their  effort  to  get  out. 

Possibly  Glen  Harding  read  something  in  his  face 
and  eyes,  for  she  started  forward,  saying,  "We 
must  go  on,  or  we  will  lose  our  friends  entirely 
in  this  wind  tangle.  I  cannot  see  them  anywhere." 
Then  she  called:  "Helen,  where  are  you?" 

An  answering  call  of  "Eight  here,  to  the  left," 
made  Arthur  Tremont  glad  he  had  remained  silent. 

"I  cannot  see  you,  Helen!  Mr.  Norwood,  do  hold 
up  your  hat!  Oh,"  and  Glen  Harding  laughed  as 
a  Panama  waved  above  a  clump  of  chia  not  four 
yards  away.  "I  see;  come  on,  Mr.  Tremont." 

"It's  the  worst  tangle  we  have  found,  and  Mr. 
Norwood  is  cutting  a  way  with  his  knife," 
explained  Mrs.  Fujita.  "We  must  be  quite  near 
my  yucca." 

"Have  you  a  knife,  Mr.  Tremont?  Then  lend  a 
hand  here  a  moment,  please.  There,  now  we  can 
get  thru,"  announced'  Grant  Norwood. 

They  reached  the  yucca  a  few  moments  later,  and 
found  it  to  be  a  fine  specimen,  holding  aloft  its 
long  panicle  of  white  waxen  bells,  giving  out  their 


318  TIIK  SOUL  OF  T1IK   WORLD 

OT6TpOW6ring  fragrance.  Mrs.  Fujita  took  several 
pictures  of  it.  from  different  points  i»f  vie\\  ;  (irant 
Norwood,  with  more  energetic  help  now,  from 
Arthur  Tmimnt.  trampling  down  hushes  and  cut 
ting  aw;iy  hranches.  to  enable  tin-  photographer  1  ' 
focus  (.11  the  thousand  blossoms  of  the  candle  of  our 
Lord.  Mrs.  Fu.jita  insisted  on  having  her  fellow 
elimhers  in  one  picture,  and  to  please  her,  they 
stood  close  about  the  tall  shaft,  risking  some  pricks 
from  the  hundred  needle  points  that  make  the  name 
of  Spanish  bayonet  so  apt. 

Then  they  began  the  descent.  "It's  easier  going 
down,  Helen,"  said  her  friend,  "for  it  does  not 
matter  where  we  come  out  on  the  trail;  so  we  can 
take  the  easiest  openings." 

Arthur  Tremont  did  his  best  in  the  pursuit  of 
botanical  knowledge,  but  failed  to  get  Glen  Hard 
ing  a  »:am  out  of  sight  of  her  friend.  Instead,  she 
sermed  to  be  eiieouraging  th«  same  line  of  study  in 
.Mrs.  Fujita.  in  spite  of  Grant  Norwood's  efforts  to 
divert  the  attention  of  the  latter  from  her 
friend.  Was  it  intentional  on  her  part,  Arthur 
Tremont  wondered.  Was  she  trying  to  avoid 
being  alone  with  him?  It  did  not  seem  so, 
for  shf  appi-ared  to  be  only  interested  in 
answering  his  questions,  or  Mrs.  Fu.jita 's,  in 
regard  to  the  name  of  flower  or  shrub,  and  in  point 
ing  out  to  her  friend  places  of  interest  whenever 
a  space  of  lower  bushes  brought  their  heads  above 
the  varying  greens  of  the  chaparral  and  gave  them 
views  of  the  "Crown  of  the  Valley;"  with  the  long 
of  the  Sierra  Madre  to  the  north,  seeming  so 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  319 

close  by,  with  its  peaks  outlined  against  the  cloud 
less  sky,  and  its  barren-looking  mass  broken  by 
the  greener  lines  showing — where  the  canyons  pene 
trated  —deep  gashes  in  the  mountain  wall. 

They  were  only  half  way  down  the  hill  when  the 
toot,  toot,  of  the  horn  reached  them.  But  a  few 
moments  more  of  winding  among  the  bushes,  then 
a  slide  and  a  jump  down  a  steep  bank,  brought 
them  out  on  the  trail,  and  a  quick  walk  took  them 
back  to  their  friends  and  the  bountiful  lunch  spread 
out  most  temptingly  under  the  shade  of  a  great  live 
oak.  The  spot  commanded  a  view  of  the  desolate 
waste  of  the  Arroyo  at  its  widest,  and  of  parts  of 
the  city  encroaching  on  its  eastern  brink. 

"Your  lunch  looks  so  good,  Mrs.  Dennison,  and 
I'm  hungry  as  a  bear!  Such  a  scramble  as  we  had! 
But  I  secured  my  pictures,"  said  Mrs.  Fujita,  as 
the  party  gathered  about  the  feast  and  seated  them 
selves  on  rock  or  cushion  or  grass,  as  came  handy. 

Arthur  Tremont  found  himself  seated  on  a  bit  of 
grass  at  the  feet  of  Grace  Knight,  who  was  perched 
on  a  rock,  and  looked  especially  pleased  about 
something  as  he  glanced  up  at  her.  Somehow,  his 
impression  had  been  that  Glen  Harding  would  sit 
on  that  particular  rock,  but,  in  the  little  flurry 
of  confusion  in  finding  places,  some  positions  had 
changed  round.  It  was  too  late  now  to  move,  for 
everyone  was  comfortably  settled;  and  there  was 
Glen  Harding  just  opposite  him,  sitting  on  a  wide, 
flat  rock,  with  Ernest  Wynn  beside  her,  and  with 
Inazo  Motora  on  a  lower  stone  close  by  on  her 
other  side.  The  former  was  talking  to  her  at  the 


320  THH  SOUL  OF  Till!   WoKLD 

moment,    jnul    Arthur   Tremont   wondered    what    he 
could  be  saying  tliat   made  her  look  so  pleased. 

While  Artliur  Tremont  did  not  hear  the  remark, 
Ina/o  Motora  did.  and  it  set  him  thinking,  tho  it 
was  merely  a  financial  statement. 

"We  had  a  long  talk.  Miss  Harding,  and  Mr. 
Dennison  has  promised  to  give  ten  thousand  dol 
lars  to  the  propaganda  fund  as  soon  as  plans  are  in 
shape;  and  he  will  give  more  later,  if  some  invest 
ments  he  lias  recently  made  should  turn  out  Well'.'1 

''Did  you  enjoy  your  walk.  Mrs.  Fii.jita?"  Will 
Dennison  asked.  "It  must  have  been  pretty  warm 
work  in  this  sunshine." 

"It  was  fine,  Mr.  Dennison!  Mr.  Tremout  and 
1  learned  a  good  deal  about  tho  wild  flowers,  and 
all  the  other  growing  thin.irs  over  there.  Every  bit 
of  the  time  was  delightful,  and  I'd  like  to  go  again. 
Wouldn't  yon.  Mr.  Tremont?" 

"Sometime,  perhaps,"  he  said,  and  as  he  looked 
up  at  her — she  was  sealed  higher  up  than  any  of 
the  others- -ho  oaught  the  gleam  of  a  lurking  spirit 
of  mischief  in  her  ey«S,  and  he  was  more  than  ever 
glad  that  ho  had  endured  tho  choking.  Some 
women  saw  too  much,  and  it  would  probably  be 
h.-tter  to  postpone  all  thoughts  of  looking  for  that 
opportunity  until  after  Mrs.  Fu.jita  left  for  Japan. 
He  understood  that  she  was  to  go  in  a  few  days. 
Then  things  would  go  back  to  the  old  footing  and 
the  pleasant  times  come  again,  that  had  been  dis 
turbed  by  the  constant  presence  of  the  visitor  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Glen  Harding.  He  turned  and 
r.-snlutely  d.-voted  himself  to  Graee  Knight,  much 
to  that  young  woman's  satisfaction. 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  321 

"Isn't  it  splendid,  Mama,"  Merwyn  asked,  "to 
be  all  here  together,  eating  our  dinner  outdoors? 
There's  such  a  lot  of  things!"  the  child  looked 
about  over  the  ample  supply  of  eatables. 

"Yes,  dear,  and  I  want  you  to  enjoy  it."  She 
smiled  down  into  the  happy  little  face,  and  then 
turned  to  Ernest  Wymi:  "How  glad  I  would  be 
to  live  to  see  all  children  as  comfortable  and  happy 
as  mine  are  now,"  she  said. 

"The  papers  say  that  school  children  are  starving 
in  this  country  today,  Birdie.  It  does  not  seem 
possible,"  said  Mrs.  Norwood. 

"It  would  not  be  possible,  Mrs.  Norwood,  if  the 
granting  of  property  in  privileges  had  not  made 
it  so."  said  Will  Dennison. 

"There's  no  end  of  idle  workers,  and  even  abject 
misery  in  every  city  in  the  land — even  Los  Angeles 
and  Pasadena  have  their  share — if  that  is  what  you 
are  looking  for,"  observed  Grant  Norwood. 

"It's  not  what  I'm  looking  for,  I  can  tell  you, 
Grant,"  retorted  Ernest  Wynn.  "What  I  look  at 
is  the  ease  and  speed  with  which  all  children  can 
be  provided  with  plenty  of  all  the  good  things  of 
life;  and  wide,  pleasant  spaces  in  which  to  play- 
right  about  their  own  homes,  too,  where  they  ought 
to  be." 

"Real  homes,"  added  Glen  Harding,  "in  which 
they  could  grow  up,  as  all  children  should,  learning 
to  love  and  enjoy  each  other,  and  to  know  by  heart 
every  tree  and  bush  and  flower,  and  all  the  wonder 
ful  insect  and  bird  life  of  the  home  garden.  Every 


i'.L'i'  TIIH  SOUL  OF  Tin: 

• 
child   born    into  Ilir  world   is  entitled   to  tliat   much, 

at  least,  of  our  mother  nature's  e*re." 

"That  sounds  pleasant.  (Ih-n."  said  Mrs.  Nor 
wood,  "but,  after  all.  it's  only  a  fancy  picture." 

"Not  a  bit  of  it.  Mrs.  Norwood,*'  Ernest  Wynn 
took  up  the  word.  "There  is  absolutely  nothing  in 
the  way  of  making  Miss  I  lard  ing's  picture  the  real 
fact  thruout  our  land,  except  the  existence  of  that 
property  in  privileges,  which,  on  the  one  hand,  is 
crushing  the  mass  of  our  people  daily  into  more  and 
more  abject  slavery,  thru  its  tribute  compelling 
power;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  is  ruining  the  few 
who  try  in  vain  to  spend  the  heaps  of  tribute  which 
roll  up  about  them  and  swamp  them,  physically, 
mentally  and  morally.  All  these  evils  were  made 
by  human  legislation  and  can  be  wiped  out  of  ex 
istence  at  any  time  that  the  people  of  this  country 
become  sufficiently  enlightened  to  abolish  them." 

"But  if  it  is  so  easy  to  straighten  things  out,  why 
was  it  not  dour  long  ago?"  questioned  Arthur  Tre- 
mont. 

Glen  Harding  laughed;  and  even  Inazo  Motora 
smiled,  as  Will  Dennison  put  the  counter  question : 
"Why  did  not  our  grandparents  ride  in  automobiles 
and  use  telephones,  Mr.  Tremont?" 

"All  nature's  laws,  all  the  facts  in  nature,  are 
waiting  ready  to  he  utili/ed  at  any  time  they  are 
discovered,  Mr.  Ti-emoiit,"  said  Mrs.  Fujita,  smiling 
down  from  her  perch.  "But  they  must  be  found 
before  they  can  be  consciously  utili/ed.  It  has  been 
given  to  Mr.  Wynn  to  find  a  bit  of  natural  law  that 
is  of  the  highest  importance  to  every  one  of  us." 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  323 

"Everybody  naturally  inclines  to  live  in  friendly 
and  helpful  association  with  others.  That  is  the 
normal  condition  for  all  human  beings,"  said  Glen 
Harding. 

"But  they  don't  do  it,  Miss  Harding,"  Arthur 
Tremont  objected.  "Most  people,  even  in  families, 
are  as  contrary  as  can  be." 

"The  crowded  condition  of  our  cities  causes  too 
much  friction,  Mr.  Tremont,"  observed  Will  Den- 
nison.  "We  need  room  enough  to  move  without 
having  to  elbow  each  other  aside." 

"That's  right,  Will,"  exclaimed  his  sister-in-law. 

"You  see,  Mr.  Tremont,"  said  Ernest  Wynn, 
smilingly,  "we  are  brought  back  to  the  land  ques 
tion  every  time  we  try  to  understand  human  actions. 
An  unbalanced  land  tenure  produces  advantages 
and  disadvantages,  and  thereby  develops  the  ten 
dency,  in  human  beings,  to  strive  for  advantages. 
This  strife — miscalled  competition  by  socialists — 
in  turn  develops  suspicion ;  and  so  universally  is 
this  tendency  developed  today  that  it  is  well  nigh 
impossible  for  persons  to  become  really  acquainted 
with  each  other  while  living  under  the  influence  of 
an  unbalanced  land  tenure.  The  insidious  power 
of  inharmony  thus  developed  is  so  great — so  vast — 
as  to  seem  incredible  when  first  recognized." 

"And  every  bit  of  it  is  due  to  human  legislation," 
added  Glen  Harding.  "What  human  beings  have 
created,  human  beings  can  abolish — particularly  as 
we  boast  every  day  about  how  much  smarter  and 
more  advanced  we  are  than  were  our  parents  or 
grandparents." 


324  Till-!  SOU,  OF  TI1H   \YoKLl) 

""Well.  I'm  sure  we  ;iiv.  in  some  ways,"  Grace 
Knight  spoke  up. 

1  'But  the  masses  of  the  people  arc  so  ignorant, 
it  is  not  worth  while  contending  with  thorn,"  lazily 
ftbWFred  (Jrant  Norwood. 

"The  ignorance  is  almost  unbelievable,"  AVill 
Dennison.  " Yesterday  I  chanced  to  talk  with  a 
business  man  about  the  new  issue  of  bonds  tin- 
city  is  asked  to  load  itself  with.  He  seemed  to  think 
them  all  right.  Then  1  asked  him  if  he  realized 
the  close  ivlatinn  between  the  word  spelled 
b-o-n-d-s  and  the  word  composed  of  the  letter^ 
b-o-n-d-a-g-c.  He  looked  surprised,  and  said  he 
had  never  thought  of  thai.  Vet  he  is  a  college 
bred  num.  and  esteemed  as  siiceessful  and  rising 
in  his  line  of  business — and  he  has  two  children 
to  think  for." 

"But  1  understand.  Mr.  Dennison,  that  the  bonds 
are  for  new  schools,  and  they  will  help  on  the  educa 
tion  and  evolution  that  will  see  a  later  generation 
out  of  the  evils  of  today."  said  Arthur  Tremont. 

"Well.  1  think  we  are  writing  ourselves  down 
mighty  small  if  we  cannot  pay  for  the  education 
of  our  children,"  returned  Will  Dennison. 

"It  makes  me  hot  every  time  I  think  how  the 
cities  are  fastening  those  loads  of  bonds  on  inno- 
c.-nt.  helph-ss  children.  Men  selling  their  own 
children  into  slavery!"  .^claimed  Knicst  Wynii. 

"Do  you  really  think.  .Mr.  Tronont. "  (Hen  llard- 
ini:  asked,  earnestly,  "that  it  will  be  easier  for  the 
children  of  the  future  to  get  out  from  under 
million*-  of  dollars  of  bonds — not  to  mention  other 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  325 

chains  about  them — than  it  would  be  for  us  to 
use  our  brains  a  little  today,  in  understanding 
and  applying  the  one  simple  natural  law  which 
will,  any  time  it  is  conformed  to,  abolish  all  bonds 
and  bondage  forever?  The  law  must  be  recog 
nized  and  applied  in  any  event — it  is  the  only 
way  out,  whether  taken  today  or  at  any  future 
time." 

"We  will  come  out  all  right  in  time,  Miss  Hard 
ing,"  Grant  Norwood  hastily  put  in.  "The  ignor 
ant  have  still  to  work  their  way  up." 

"Our  whole  work  is  really  to  penetrate  that  veil 
of  ignorance — and  thoughtlessness,"  said  Glen 
Harding,  "and  get  in  the  knowledge  of  the  simple 
and  only  way  out.  A  great  deal  of  what  passes 
for  ignorance  is  actually  thoughtlessness,  I  feel  sure, 
and  once  we  set  people  to  thinking  it  will  be  easy 
for  them  to  see  what  is  holding  them  down,  and  how 
readily  and  peaceably  they  can  free  themselves." 

"That's  true,"  exclaimed  Ernest  Wynn.  "It  is 
impossible  to  free  people  from  servitude  to  others 
until  they  are  capable  of  thinking  for  themselves. 
True  freedom  necessitates  self-government,  and 
none  can  be  self -governed  while  under  the  dominion 
of  any  other  power  than  that  of  reason.  The  first 
step  toward  freedom — real  freedom — then,  is  to  set 
people  to  thinking,  by  the  discussion  of  the  elements 
of  freedom." 

"Our  propaganda  will  do  that,"  asserted  Glen 
Harding,  hopefully. 

"Your  plan  seems  unreal  to  me,  Glen,"  said  Mrs. 
Norwood.  "There  are  too  many  people  in  this 


:r_''i  IHH  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

country  for  you  ever  to  reach  all  of  them.     To  me  it 
looks  like  a  hopeless  task." 

"You  see,  Mrs.  Norwood,"  Mrs.  Fujita  looked 
down  from  her  higher  outlook  to  observe,  "Herbert 
Spencer  was  right  when  he  said  that  'The  worse  the 
condition  of  society,  the  more  visionary  must  a  true 
code  of  morality  appear.'  ' 

"It  takes  onl}r  a  comparatively  few  people — 
who  understand  what  they  are  about  —  to  form 
and  control  public  opinion,"  said  Glen  Hard 
ing,  seriously.  "This  is  proved  by  the  fact  that 
only  a  small  number  today  get  the  largest  share  of 
the  returns  from  the  tribute-paying  conditions  under 
which  all  arc  living.  These  few  use  every  ave 
nue  of  public  communication — pulpit,  school,  book 
store,  postoffice  and  press — thru  which  to  instill 
into  ami  keep  before  the  minds  of  the  people  cer 
tain  ideas  which  form  current  public  opinion;  and 
which  enable  the  holders  of  the  greater  part  of 
property  in  privileges  to  grind  our  millions  of  peo 
ple  into  a  more  ami  more  abject  slavery — under 
the  forms  of  liberty.  It  is  nothing  on  earth  except 
tin-  ignorance  and  thoughtlessness  of  educated  peo 
ple—like  "Will's  business  man  that  makes  the  deg 
radation  of  the  rich,  and  the  misery  and  want  of 
the  poor,  possible  today." 

"Even  if  that  is  so.  1  don't  see  how  you  can 
stop  it."  insisted  .Mrs.  Norwood. 

"  I'.v  publishing  the  simple  truth."  ;ms\vered 
(Jlen  Mardin«_r.  (piickly.  "By  showing  how  the 
establishment  of  a  balanced  bind  tenure  will  at 
•  •nee  (.pen.  ;md  keep  forever.  c(|iial  opportunities  to 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  327 

life — real  living,  with  all  its  enjoyments.  The  true 
path  is  so  plain  that  any  adult  can  see  it,  can  under 
stand  it,  and  many  people  already  know  something 
of  a  genuine  town  meeting  and  its  relation  to  true 
self-government. ' ' 

"  Public  opinion  is  now  largely  a  matter  if  imita 
tion,"  added  Ernest  Wynn.  "  Owners  of  property 
in  privileges  set  going  certain  thoughts  calculated 
to  tighten  their  power  over  the  rest  of  the  people ; 
these  thoughts  are  spread  about  by  the  immediate 
tools  of  the  powers,  as  tho  they  were  their  own 
thoughts,  and  the  general  public  imitates  the  move 
ment  and  accepts  the  ideas,  unconscious  of  the 
process.  Unconscious  imitation  is  really  reflex 
action.  The  sane  adult  can,  by  a  conscious  effort 
of  the  will,  refrain  from  imitative  or  reflex  action. 
The  thoughtless  adult  simply  submits  and  imitates. 
Hence,  the  fact  that  public  opinion  today  supports 
many  things  directly  opposed  to  the  welfare  of  the 
people — all  the  people — is  ample  evidence  of  the 
almost  universal  thoughtlessness  in  this  country." 

"I  like  the  idea  of  having  homes  with  large  gar 
dens  for  the  children — and  ourselves — to  enjoy," 
said  Mrs.  Dennison.  "Even  large  and  handsome 
houses  do  not  look  a  bit  homelike  when  crowded  so 
close  together  as  they  are  building  them  now." 

"With  a  balanced  land  tenure  established,  there 
would  certainly  be  a  prompt  end  to  all  that, 
Mrs.  Dennison,"  Ernest  Wynn  responded.  "Peo 
ple  naturally  like  plenty  of  room  and  outdoor  life. 
Just  see  how  they  are  even  now  trying  to  get  away 


328  TIIK  SOUL  (>!•'  Till-:   WoRLD 

from    tin-    cities,    Ilio   they   only    .ir«-t    to    tin-    suburbs 

and  a  little  patch  <>f  grass." 

"Kven  if  all  the  people  wanted  such  a  change," 
.Mrs.  Norwood  persisted,  "it  would  lake  a  long 
time  to  work  it  out." 

"Stop   and   think    a   moment,   Mrs.   Norwood,    of 
the  changes  that  have  taken  place  in    LMS   Angeles 
and    Pasadena      not    to    mention    along    the    head', 
.since  you  came  out  here,"  suggested  Will  Dennis. >n. 

"I  never  thought  of  that,  Will"  eagerly  spok<- 
lira.  Dennison.  "Just  think,  l)ais\  "  she  turned 
to  her  friend — "of  the  way  Pasadena  looked  when 
you  came  out  to  visit  me — and  then  see  how  it  is 
now.  Free  people,  with  plenty  to  go  on,  con  hi 
spread  out  and  make  this  a  land  full  of  lovely  homes 
in  a  very  few  years.  That  part  will  be  easy. 
Then,  think  how  splendid  it  will  be  to  have  the 
children  .UTOW  up  in  a  land  where  people  are  not 
afraid  of  needing  anything,  and  can  all  be  perfectly 
sincere  and  friendly  with  each  other." 

"You  don't  meet  many  such  today,  Mrs.  Den 
nison,"  remarked  Grant  Norwood. 

"Yet  I  believe  everyone  would  rather  be  so.  if 
not  afraid."  she  returned.  "But  I  see  you  are  all 
about  thru  with  the  lunch."  She  smiled  her  satis 
faction  over  the  empty  dishes.  "If  anyone  wants 
to  go  down  into  the  gorge,  we  can  wait  a  while; 
but  remember  that  we  are  to  go  back  by  way  of 
La  Canada  and  thru  the  hills." 

"I  want  Helen  to  see  the  gorge  from  below,  Rir- 
die,"  said  her  sister.  "We  will  be  baek  in  plenty 
of  time." 


AT  DEVIL'S  GATE  329 

Arthur  Tremont  started  up,  but  Inazo  Motora, 
quick  and  graceful,  was  before  him,  and  started 
down  the  path  with  Glen  Harding.  Ernest  Wynn 
followed,  talking  to  Mrs.  Fujita,  so  there  was  noth 
ing  left  for  him  but  to  bring  up  the  rear  with 
Grace  Knight,  who  exerted  herself  for  his  enter 
tainment,  and  seemed  to  succeed  very  well — espe 
cially  as  they  all  kept  pretty  close  together  after 
reaching  the  bottom  of  the  gorge,  while  Glen  Hard 
ing  explained  some  of  the  geology  of  the  region, 
and  pointed  out  the  curious  markings  of  the  rocks. 


CI1A1TKK   16 


KAK'.MA    AM)    K^l'AL    FREKDO.M. 

An  unusually  warm  Sunday  afternoon,  early  in 
August,  made  the  shady  front  pergola  at  Arroyo 
Vista  semi  especially  inviting,  and  there  the  older 
members  of  the  Dennison  family  and  their  guests 
.Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norwood  and  Grace  Knight — were 
gathered,  after  the  early  dinner.  Glen  Harding 
had  just  returned  the  evening  before,  after  a  few 
\\erks'  absence.  She  had  gone  to  San  Francisco 
to  see  her  friend  safely  off  for  .Japan,  and  then 
^topprd  on  the  way  home  to  visit  friends  at  Santa 
Barbara.  Mrs.  Dennison  and  the  children  had 
been  spending  the  time  at  the  beach,  but  all  were 
now  at  home,  getting  ready  Tor  the  social  event  of 
the  month — to  Jack  Romanic's  friends. 

"I  wonder,  Daisy,  if  any  of  those  men  will  be 
here  this  afternoon?"  remarked  Mrs.  Dennison,  in 
a  low  tone,  to  her  friend,  as  the  two  sat  a  little 
apart  from  the  others,  on  a  quaintly  carved,  high- 
baeked  bench. 

"Those  men"  needed  no  translation  to  Mrs.  Nor 
wood.  "I'm  sure  Mr.  Tremont  will  come,  for  (Irani 
told  him  this  morning  that  (ilen  was  at  home. 
Grant  is  fairly  bewitched  about  that  man.  and  was 
really  disappointed  that  he  could  not  give  him  a 
chance  to  propose  to  Glen  at  your  picnic.  He 
said  lie  did  his  best  to  «j«-t  Mrs.  Kujita  out  of  the 
way.  but."  and  she  lauirhcd.  "tin-  bushes  wen-  too 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  331 

tangled — he  was  quite  badly  scratched — and  Glen 
kept  catching  up.  Have  y.ou  had  that  talk  with 
her  yet?  Do  you  think  now  that  Glen  cares  any 
thing  at  all  for  Arthur  Tremont,  Birdie?" 

''Sometimes  I  have  felt  quite  sure  that  she  does 
not — yet  only  this  morning  she  made  a  remark  that 
puzzled  me.  I  haven't  had  a  chance  for  that  talk 
with  her  yet.  You  know  we  only  came  home  yes 
terday.  Yet  Mr.  Tremont  is  a  very  attractive  man 
in  some  ways,"  she  ended,  reflectively. 

"Oh,  he  is  a  handsome  man  enough  and  very 
pleasant  in  his  manners,  tho  they  have  not  the  per 
fection  Mr.  Motora  can  show,"  Mrs.  Norwood 
laughed.  "But  in  spite  of  the  queer  way  in  which 
Glen  goes  on  sometimes  about  the  past,  I'm  sure 
she  does  not  believe  in  that  eastern  mysticism  Mr. 
Tremont  teaches.  I've  told  Grant  so  a  hundred 
times,  but  he  won't  listen  to  me  on  that  subject — 
says  I  don't  understand  it." 

"I  don't  pretend  to  understand  it  at  all," 
laughed  her  friend.  "As  for  Mr.  Tremont — oh," 
she  broke  off — "  'speak  of  an  angel  and  you  hear 
the  rustle  of  his  wings.'  There  he  is  now,  coming 
up  the  walk." 

Will  Dennison  chanced  to  be  nearest  the  entrance 
and  went  to  meet  the  coming  guest.  "Glad  to  see 
you,  Mr.  Tremont.  Come  right  up  here,  it's  as  cool 
a  place  as  you  can  find  in  Pasadena  this  al'ter- 


The  greetings  were  hardly  over  and  Arthur  Tre 
mont  comfortably  seated  among  them,  when  Mrs. 
Norwood  called  her  friend's  attention  to  another 


TIII:  son.  OK  TIIK  WOKLD 

ti.irmv  coming  up  the  walk,  and,  in  an  aside  too 
low  to  catch  tli'-  ears  of  any  one  but  Mrs.  Dennison, 
said,  "Now  Mr.  Motora  is  sure  to  come  pretty 
Boon." 

"It's  pleasant  to  see  you  back,  Miss  Harding," 
remarked  Krn.-st  \Vynn.  frankly  glad,  as  he  was 
made  welcome  to  a  seat  <m  tin-  wide,  cool  pergola. 

"I  told  you  so.  Hirdie, "  and  Mrs.  Norwood 
looked  a.irain  toward  the  entrance  to  the  grounds, 
where  a  lar^e  touring  car  had  just  stopped  beside 
the  walk.  Jnaxo  Motora  sprang  out  and  came 
quickly  toward  them. 

"This  is  fine,"  he  said,  after  the  first  greetings 
were  over.  "I  brought  a  party  of  friends  over 
from  Los  Angeles,  but  they  do  not  go  •  back  with 
me,  and  I  hoped  to  find  some  of  you  here,"  he 
bowed  to  Mrs.  Norwood,  "so  that  I  need  not  make 
the  return  trip  alone.  Will  you  do  me  the  honor 
of  returning  jn  my  ear?  You,  too,  Mr.  Tremont." 

"With  pleasure.  Mr.  Motora."  said  Mrs.  Nor 
wood. 

"Thank  you,"  murmured  Arthur  Tremont,  but 
the  thought  in  his  mind  was,  "I  suppose  I  must 
accept,  even  tho  it  does  seem  to  leave  a  clear  field 
to  Wynn." 

"You  will  all  have  tea  with  us,  and  then  the 
ride  back  to  Los  Angeles  in  the  cool  of  the  evening 
will  be  delightful,"  said  Mrs.  Dennison,  "and  there 
will  he  moonlight,  you  know." 

"You    are    ,-i     perfect    jewel,    p.irdie."    exclaimed 
Norwood,  "and    1    will  accept    I'm-  all  of  us." 

"I'.y    the    way.    Mr.    Dennison."    remarked    Krnest 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  333 

Wynn,  as  he  moved  to  a  seat  in  the  midst  of  the 
group,  now  gathered  sociably  together,  "you 
remember  asking  me  to  send  my  .article  on  Freedom 
to  your  Chicago  paper?" 

Will  Dennison  looked  interested.  "Yes,  is  it  out? 
I  have  not  had  time  yet  to  look  over  the  last 
number." 

"No,  the  managing  editor  writes  me  that  my 
article  seems  to  be  intended  for  single  taxers,  and 
they  never  address  their  readers  as  tho  they  were 
single  taxers." 

"But  that  is  ridiculous!"  exclaimed  Will  Denni 
son. 

"I  read  your  article  very  carefully,  Mr.  Wynn, 
and  it  did  not  seem  to  me  to  be  addressed  to  single 
taxers  any  more  than  to  any  other  lovers  of  free 
dom,"  said  Mrs.  Dennison. 

"Ernest  Wynn  looked  particularly  pleased.  "I 
am  so  glad  you  were  interested  enough  to  read  my 
paper,  and  you  are  right  about  it ;  but  single  taxers 
now  claim  to  be  'the  only  consistent  preachers  of 
freedom  in  a  land  dedicated  to  freedom.'  ' 

"If  they  mean  to  live  up  to  that  claim  they  will 
have  »to  study  a  balanced  land  tenure  promptly, 
and  for  all  they  are  worth,"  remarked  Will  Den 
nison,  emphatically: 

"I  take  that  paper,  too,"  put  in  Arthur  Tremont, 
"and  its  editor  seems  to  be  always  discussing  some 
phase  of  the  land  question." 

Glen  Harding  glanced  brightly  at  the  speaker. 
"I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  reading  up  on  the 
subject,  Mr.  Tremont." 


394  TIN:  son,  <>r  THI;  \v< >KU> 

"Oh.  I  don't  read  'the  paper  very  thoroly,"  he 
admitted,  "hut  1  have  noticed  that  the  editor  semis 
to  have  a  lot  to  say  on  money  and  land  values 
lately." 

"That  reminds  me  to  ask."  and  (Jh-n  Hardinir 
turned  to  Krnest  \Yynn.  ''Did  you  send  them 
your  article  about  Kent  and  Land  Values,  as  I 
urged  you  to  do.  Mr.  Wynn  .'" 

A  (|iieer  smile  trembled  for  an  instant  on  Kni'^l 
\Yynn 's  lips,  but  he  only  said,  quietly.  "Yes.  hut 
they  declined  it  beeause  'it  raises  a  controversy 
which  would  be  more  appropriate  for  a  single  tax 
organ  or  some  university  publication.' 

Glen  Ifarding's  face  showed  her  amazement.  "Is 
it  possible."  she  exclaimed,  "that  the  editors  of  a 
paper  claiminir  to  he  among  the  leading  exponents 
of  social  service  can  refuse  to  publish  the  greatest 
discovery  ever  made  in  political  science  -the  law 
controlling  human  association — when  thoroly  ex 
plained,  and  showing  tbe  exact  source  of  ground 
rent?  It  seemed  strange  enough  that  they  should 
make  no  note  of  it  when  you  first  called  their 
attention  to  the  discovery.  I  thought  they  would 
he  «rlad  to  publish  and  discuss  that  article.  Syivly 
there  can  he  no  subject  of  more  vital  importance 
to  the  whole  <|iiestion  of  social  welfare.  What  pos 
sible  social  service  could  the  editors  nf  that  jiaper 
roidei-  to  humanity  «rivaler  than  that  of  hrinirin*r 
to  the  frf.nt  a  disc,, very  that  shows  exactly  what 
constitutes  a  balanced  land  tenure — a  complete  and 
permanent  solution  nf  the  land  »|uestinu:" 

"That    snir^est  ion    of   a    university    paper    looks    a 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  335 

little  like  an  effort  to  shelve  the  serious  discussion 
of  the  land  question,"  observed  Will  Dennison, 
thoughtfully. 

"It  is  certainly  trifling  with  a  matter  of  the 
gravest  importance.  Why,  Will,  I  am  simply 
astounded!  It  does  riot  seem  possible  they  could 
fall  so  low  in  thought,"  and  a  pained  look  passed 
over  Glen  Harding 's  face. 

"Do  you  suppose,"  Inazo  Motora  spoke  with  some 
hesitation,  "that  the  editor  was,  perhaps,  afraid  to 
come  out  squarely  and  face  the  possibility  of  an 
immediate  and  strong  strike  at  the  root  of  all  the 
evil  of  our — and  every  other — time,  an  unbalanced 
land  tenure?  I  have  noticed  in  all  your  reform 
papers  a  tendency  to  discuss  every  sort  of  minor 
issue,  rather  than  an  earnest  effort  to  get  at  the 
heart  of  the  problem.  Are  they  afraid  of  it?" 

"I  don't  know  about  those  papers,"  Arthur  Tre- 
mont  put  in,  "but  I  do  know  that  fear  is  the  one 
thing  we  must  all  get  rid  of  if  we  are  ever  to 
amount  to  anything." 

"We  were  at  the  Woman's  Club  the  other  day," 
began  Mrs.  Norwood,  "and  the  speaker,  a  very 
bright  woman  from  Iowa,  said  that  all  the  lesser 
reforms  must  be  secured  before  the  greatest  could 
be  won;  and  that  we  ought  to  work  hard  to  win 
the  small  ones — perhaps  that  is  why  the  reform 
papers  give  so  much  space  to  them?" 

"How  utterly  absurd!"  exclaimed  Glen  Harding. 
"How  can  we  possibly  cure  the  symptoms  of  a 
disease  while  we  let  the  cause  go  on  unchecked?'* 

"She   said,   too,"   put   in   Grace   Knight,    quickly. 


"that     reforms    mils)     collie    slowl\.    sd    ;i-,    liol     In    make 

any  sudden  changes." 

"I  hrliev!'  in  striking  on!  I'mm  the  >honld«T  ,-md 
telling  the  whole  truth."  said  Will  Drnnisim.  "I 
don't  think  it  heller,  or  at  all  necessary,  to  take  a 
LTeiierat  ion  or  two  lo  abolish  a  wr«>ng  when  it  can 
he  dune  in  much  less  time,  under  the  false  notion 
that  a  sudden  change  for  the  hetter  could  possibly 
be  disastrous  to  the  commonwealth." 

"I  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Dennison."  remarked 
Grant  Norwood.  "lint  if  I  spoke  out  freely  1  would 
lose  my  job.  and  I  cannot  afford  th;,1  ;  for  a  job  lost 
in  these  days  cannot  lie  replaced  by  a  better  one 
I've  noticed  that  fact  in  too  many  cases  to  care  to 
try  it  myself." 

"That  is,  Grant,  you  are  afraid  of  losing  your 
position  if  you  come  out  fearlessly  for  a  balanced 
land  tenure?"  It  was  Krnest  Wynn  who  put  tin- 
question. 

"Yes.  Krnest.  that's  about  the  si/e  ..!'  it."  was 
the  prompt  reply.  "And,  honestly,  now.  do  any 
of  you,"  he  glanced  about  the  ^i-oiip,  "know  a 
man  entirely  without  that  fear?" 

"I  have  been  surprised  to  see  so  much  of  that 
feeling  among  a  people  I  had  supposed  were 
entirely  independent."  observed  Ina/.o  Motora. 

"A  poor  man  certainly  cannot  afl'onl  to  be  out 
spoken,"  said  Will  Dennison.  "And  even  among 
the  comparatively  well-to-do  today,  business  rela 
tions  are  so  complex  and  involved  that  we  have  to 
be  mighty  cautious,  on  occasion,  as  to  what  we  say." 

"Then   I   would  like  to  ask  our  friend   here*'*  said 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  337 

Ernest  Wynn,  turning  to  Arthur  Tremont,  "how 
we  are  to  get  rid  of  fear  in  any  other  way  than 
thru  the  recognition  of  nature's  law  for  the  har 
monious  association  of  persons — equal  freedom — 
based  on  a  balanced  land  tenure?" 

"The  quickest  way  to  get  rid  of  fear,  that  I 
can  think  of,"  smilingly  answered  Arthur  Tremont, 
"is  to  ignore  his  existence." 

"I  am  glad  to  learn,  Mr.  Tremont,  that  fear  is 
not  feminine,"  Glen  Harding  spoke  gravely,  but 
the  light  in  her  eyes  was  dancing. 

"What  in  the  world  do  you  mean,  Miss  Hard 
ing?" 

"I  mean,  Mr.  Tremont,  that  it  is  eminently  accu 
rate  to  personify  fear  by  the  use  of  the  masculine 
pronoun,  for  the  all-great  fear — the  fear  of  poverty 
—which  underlies  all  others,  is  due  wholly  to  man- 
made  legislation." 

"And  if  you  will  allow  yourself  to  think  seri 
ously  on  the  subject  for  a  few  moments,  Mr.  Tre 
mont,"  added  Ernest  Wynn,  "you  will  see  the 
impossibility  of  getting  rid  of  that  fear  by  trying 
to  ignore  it.  There  is  no  possible  wray  to  actually 
and  permanently  get  rid  of  it  except  by  removing 
its  cause;  and  that  cause  is  clearly  an  unbalanced 
land  tenure." 

"Oh,  come,  now,  Mr.  Wynn,  you  know  I  don't 
care  to  argue  with  you  on  questions  of  sociology," 
returned  Arthur  Tremont.  "I  know,  however,  and 
I  say  it  emphatically,  that  there  is  nothing  to  fear 
but  fear.  Our  only  chains  are  those  we  forge  for 
ourselves.  WTe  are  capable  of  asserting  our  indi- 


nii:  s< >i  L  (»!••  TIN-:  WORLD 

vidualiix  always  ;MMI  everywhere.  ;m<|  we  are  free 
right  n<>\\-.  here  ;ind  always.  Nothing  but  fear  can 
keep  us  t'n.ni  our  birthright." 

"That  must  be  true."  said  Grace  Knight,  eagerly, 
"for  w»-  ;ill  made  our  own  kanna  in  a  past  life.  1 
ot't.-n  think  that  our  great  teacher  was  very  wise  in 
vi\  ing  that,  when  theosophy  has  restored  a  knowl- 
1  due  of  the  aneient  truths  of  kanna  and  reincarna 
tion  to  their  rightful  places  in  our  Western  thought", 
the  poor  and  ignorant  people  who  are  now  discon 
tented  and  always  complaining  about  injustice  or 
something  wrong,  will  become  patient  and  bear 
quietly  whatever  conies  to  them.  They  will  know 
that  it  is  all  a  part  of  the  law.  and  that  the  law 
is  always  good,  and  that  in  time  I  hey  will  work  out 
to  higher  and  easier  places." 

"I  cannot  agree  with  thai  statement.  Miss 
Knight."  Ernest  Wynn  spoke  -very  seriously.  "Such 
a  doctrine  seems  to  me  an  unmitigated  evil,  for  it 
tends  to  relieve  all  pel-sons  from  any  personal 
responsibility  for  the  inequitable  conditions  in 

which  we  are  all  involved  today.  The  truth  is — 
and  it  is  easily  demonstrable — that  those  evils  are 
wholly  due  to  human  statutes  and  human  errors, 
and  can  be  removed  at  any  time  thru  securing  real 
freedom-  eipial  freedom  and  that  is  not  at  all  a 
(piestion  df  time,  or  of  individual  character.  It  is 
solely  a  <|Uestion  of  knowledge  of  the  right  way 
out:  and  that  can  now  be  ipiiekly  learned." 

''I  feel  lhat  the  only  safeguard  we  can  take  in 
our  daily  lives,  these  days."  observed  Arthur  Tre- 
mont.  ''is  to  just  accept  gladlx  whatever  mav  come 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  339 

to  us  and  mentally  exclaim  'I  need  this  experience 
or  it  would  not  have  come  to  me,  but  I  must  con 
quer  it,  and  positively  refuse  to  let  it  conquer  me.' 
Then  we  can  make  everything  a  lesson  to  lead  us 
on  to  higher  things." 

"That  is  all  right,"  assented  Ernest  Wynn,  "if 
we  are  careful  to  distinguish  clearly  between  what 
is  the  result  of  natural  forces  outside  of  human 
control  and  those  things  that  result  from  the  work 
ing  of  natural  forces  thru  the  human  mind  and 
under  human  control.  We  should  bear  in  mind  that 
humanity  is  that  portion  of  nature  in  which  has 
evolved  the  power  to  consciously  use — or  abuse — all 
natural  forces,  including  the  human  body  itself." 

"Seriously,  Mr.  Wynn,  we  ought  to  remember 
that  whatever  is,  is  right,"  said  Arthur  Tremont. 
"Even  if  it  does  not  seem  so  to  us,  we  can  at  least 
trust  the  Causeless  Cause  enough  to  act  as  tho 
everything  was  just  as  it  should  be.  In  this  way 
we  can  grow  a  hope — possibly  a  firm  belief — that 
the  world  is  not  so  topsy  turvy  and  perverse  as  it 
appears  to  be." 

The  look  of  disgust  on  Ernest  Wynn's  face  was 
unmistakable,  and  quite  plainly  visible,  but  his  voice 
was  gravely  quiet  as  he  said,  "That  is  a  hideous 
mistake,  a  monstrous  illusion,  for  it  allows  right 
minded  persons  like  yourself,  Mr.  Tremont,  to  refuse 
to  listen  to  the  truth  thru  which  alone  we  can  ever 
have  right  human  relations — a  truth  we  can  recog 
nize  and  apply  right  here  and  now.  The  misery, 
the  crime,  the  personal  vices,  and  the  political  cor 
ruption  that  exists  in  our  own  country — and  else- 


340  TIN-:  ,S 

where   thruout.  Hi 

man  made  statute 

by  the  conscious 

ably  together.     Persons  n<.\v  living  an 

petent    to    abolish    the    whole    evil     bro< 

manently  eradical  e   it,  root    and   bram-h 

it   easily,    peacefully    and    promptly. 

truth  is  known." 

"You  do  not  seem  to  realize,  .Mr.   \Vynn."  Arthur 

Tremont    went    calmly    on.    "that    the    love    "I"  justice 

and  the  good  of  our  Fellows  is  a  matter  of  very  slow 
\vth;  a  sort,  of  steady  nnfoldment.  a  gradual 
opening,  and  it  takes  a  ires  in  which  to  evolve  enough 
to  operate  at  all  widely.  Doubtless  the  time  will 
come  when  people  will  look  back  with  ama/emeni 
at  the  record  we  are  making  today.  "I'  war.  murder, 
exterminating,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  thinirs  you 
consider  evil — but  1  say  are  ^m.d.  as  all  is  gppd 
and  will  wonder  why  we  allowed  such  horrors  to 
continue  and  increase." 

There  was  a  Hash  in  Mr  not  Wymi's  eyes,  and 
Glen  Harding  noticed  his  momentary  grip  on  Un 
arms  of  the  chair  in  whieh  he  sat.  as  he  leaned  for 
ward  to  speak  :— 

"I  can  tell  you  one  reason  why  such  tilings  con 
tinue  to  exist.  Mr.  Tremont.  It  is  because  you  fear 
to  take  up  and  seriously  study  certain  truths  to 
which  your  attention  has  been  called.  You  tell  us 
we  must  get  rid  of  fear.  Yet  you  are  afraid  to 
investigate  a  balanced  land  tenure  for  fear  you  will 
become  convinced  of  its  truth  and  have  to  give  up 
some  of  the  errors  you  are  now  teaching." 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  341 

"I  have  become  convinced  that  Mr.  Wynn  has 
found  a  great  and  glorious  truth,  Mr.  Trernont," 
Inazo  Motora  hastened  to  say.  "It  is  not  a  matter 
of  evolution,  but  of  knowledge  and  action." 

Arthur  Tremont 's  pleasant  calm  was  unbroken. 
"Viewpoints  differ,"  he  said,  "and  we  cannot  all 
think  alike." 

"It  seems  to  me,  Mr.  Tremont,  that  Mr.  Wynn's 
remarks  about  fear  and  investigation  apply  as 
strongly  to  another  subject  as  they  do  to  the  land 
question,"  said  Glen  Harding.  And  again  Ernest 
Wynn  noticed  Inazo  Motora 's  quick  smile  of  com 
prehension.  He  must, solve  that  mystery. 

"I'm  sure  the  teachings  of  the  new  thought  are 
the  most  wonderful  thing  we  have  today,"  Grace 
Knight  put  in,  eagerly.  "They  teach  us  how  to 
attain  to  all  joy,  thru  the  wisdom  that  is  higher 
reason,  or  is  it  something  higher  than  reason?" 
Her  appeal  was  to  Arthur  Tremont,  but  he  only 
smiled,  slightly — and  kept  still — while  Ernest  Wynn 
observed : — 

"Very  much  now  passes  for  wisdom  because  of 
the  erroneous  assumption  that  humanity  is  capable 
of  attaining  something  higher  than  the  rational, 
oblivious  of  the  fact  that  what  is  not  rational  is 
irrational.  Depend  upon  it,  Miss  Knight,  whatever 
is  expressible  in  human  language  is  either  rational 
or  irrational;  and  any  utterance  that  cannot  be 
comprehended  by  the  reason  is  the  voice  of 
insanity."' 

Grace  Knight  looked  a  little  bewildered,  but  ven 
tured  to  say,  questioningly,  "It  looks  as  tho  there 


:;»i'  TIIK  sou,  OK  TIIK   \VoHlJ) 

w»-re  everywhere  good  and  bad  tiling,  and  we 
surely  ought  1«>  t TV  to  follow  the  good?  I  like  to 
think  it  is  all  good,  because  a  Supreme  l»«iiiiir  could 
not  make  or  allow  any  evil." 

Kniest  \Vynn  shook  liis  head.  "You  can  readily 
Bee,  .Miss  Knight."  In-  said,  "that  all  political  insti 
tutions  aiv  of  human  make;  that  the  statutes  that 
legal ixe  certain  kinds  of  nihhiTy  are  huiiian-inade. 
and  do  not  conform  to  the  laws  of  nature,  and  can 
not  therefore  do  otherwise  than  cause  inharmony 
and  human  suffering.  The  laws  of  nature  are  real 
laws  because  they  an-  aut  horit  at  i  ve~-t  hat  is.  they 
invariably  punish  infringement*.  Conformity  to 
them  brings  satisfaction;  non-conformity  brings 
dissatisfaction  and  suffering;  and  there  is  never  any 
deviation  from  this  rule.  This  is  never  true  of 
human  legislation.  Tin*  laws  of  nature  we  call  good 
because  of  the  results  of  conformity  to  them.  For 
the  same  reason  we  are  justified  in  calling  almost 
all  human  legislation  evil — bad." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  Glen  Harding  said,  earnestly. 
"that  one  of  the  worst  things  about  the  teaching 
that  the  horrors  of  today  are  good — right — is  the 
way  in  which  it  stupifies  and  paralizes  the  reason. 
enabling  people  to  shirk  their  share  of  responsibility 
for  the  legislation  which  causes  the  evils.  The  belief 
undoubtedly  sooths  many  persons  into  inaction  in 
the  face  of  appalling  degradation  and  misery.  Hut 
it  is  like  the  ease  from  pain  produced  by  narcotics. 
and  actually  aggravates  the  trouble  while  render 
ing  the  sufferer  b-ss  able  to  meet  it — to  conquer  it." 

"That's    right.    (Jlen."    said    Will    Dennison.    with 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  343 

emphasis.  "I  don't  claim  to  be  versed  in  meta 
physics,  but  it  strikes  me  that  we  can  sell  ourselves 
to  his  Satanic  majesty  about  as  well  thru  the  mental 
morphine  of  'whatever  is,  is  right'  as  by  the  use. 
physically,  of  the  drug  opium." 

''Exactly,"  added  Ernest  Wynn.  "Soothing  the 
mind  and  nerves  to  sleep  is  not  always  wise.  It  all 
depends  on  how — at  what  price — the  peace  is 
secured.  Nerve  peace  produced  by  morphine  is  no 
more,  no  less,  abnormal,  than  the  mental  peace  pro 
duced  thru  the  mantram,  'Whatever  is,  is  right'." 

"But,  you  know,  our  karma  in  this  life  is  all  made 
in  some  previous  life,  and  we  cannot  change  it 
now,"  said  Grace  Knight,  insistently.  "We  have 
to  take  whatever  comes,  and  bear  it  cheerfully,  so 
as  to  make  good  karma  for  another  life." 

"I  wish  you  would  not  talk  such  nonsense,  Grace," 
her  sister  exclaimed,  impatiently. 

"It  is  all  right,  Grace,  to  believe  in  karma  and 
reincarnation,  but  we  should  not  argue  about  it," 
observed  her  brother-in-law.  "I  never  do." 

"Nor  do  I,"  said  Arthur  Tremont.  "It  is  indis 
putable  that  in  the  theory  of  metempsychosis  there 
is  found  the  only  possible  explanation  of  the  in 
equalities  and  apparent  injustices  of  life.  It  is  the 
only  theory  that  squares  with  justice." 

Glen  Harding 's  eyes  seemed  to  grow  larger  and 
darker  as  she  turned  them  full  upon  Arthur  Tre 
mont.  For  an  instant  he  met  the  look,  then  glanced 
away  as  she  said:  "How  can  you  say  that,  Mr. 
Tremont,  when  you  have  repeatedly  heard  the  true 
explanation  ?  Think  of  your  responsibility  as  a 
teacher." 


;.!!  THE  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

Arthur  Tremont  was  saved  the  necessity  of  reply 
ing  by  the  timely  appearance  of  a  maid,  bearing  a 
tray  filled  with  glasses,  and  followed  by  Jake  Har 
ris  carrying  a  great  glass  pitcher  filled  with  the 
lemonade  which  made  him  famous  among  the  visit 
ors  at  Arroyo  Vista. 

Her  friends  declared  that  the  fair  Mrs.  Dennis- >n 
never  seemed  more  beautiful  than  when  she  beamed 
her  pleasure  over  a  group  of  guests  who  seemed 
t<>  be  really  enjoying  her  hospitality.  Certainly 
those  now  clustered  about  her  appeared  to  be  enjoy- 
inir  their  present  occupation.  She  looked  from  one 
to  another,  then  a  sudden  thought  struck  her,  and 
she  spoke  it  out,  holding  up  her  half-emptied  glass: 
"Wouldn't  we  nil  enjoy  this  more  if  we  knew  that 
everyone  else  could  have  lemonade  as  good  as  Jake's 
whenever  they  wanted  it,  and  could  drink  it  in 
just  as  pleasant  a  place  as  this?" 

Her  husband  turned  quickly  toward  her,  exclaim- 
in  jr.  ''1  never  thought  of  that,  Birdie,  but  I  do  be- 
li«-ve  we  would." 

"AYhat  an  odd  notion.  Birdie,"  cried  Mrs.  Nor 
wood.  "Tho.  of  course.  I'd  like  to  have  all  people 
enjoy  lifV." 

"I  think  you  are  quite  riirht.  .Mrs.  Dennis.. n. " 
said  Krnesf  Wynn.  "We  could  not  help  feeling  a 
Lr renter  enjoyment  in  every  detail  of  life  if  in  a  truly 
fiv  country.  Then  just  think  that  it  needs  only  a 
few  years  of  earnest  work  on  the  part  of  a  few  of 
us.  in  the  rijrht  way.  to  make  that  enjoyment  -the 
joy  of  re;il  livinir-  an  established  fact!" 

"I'm   sunj  we  would   all   like  to  have  life  easier, 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  345 

more  satisfying  in  its  accomplishment/'  remarked 
Grant  Norwood. 

"Life  would  expand  for  every  one  of  us  if  we 
realized  that  all  persons  were  comfortable  and 
happy,  neither  burdened  by  excessive  wealth  nor 
abased  by  poverty,"  said  Inazo  Motora.  "There  is 
visible  a  wide-spread  discontent  with  present  con 
ditions,  and,  in  places,  also  a  feeling  that  these  con 
ditions  are  becoming  unendurable,  and  that  a 
change  of  some  sort  must  come  soon.  This  is  now 
felt  even  in  Japan."  . 

"That  is  true,"  said  Ernest  Wynn.  "A  vague 
sense  of  an  impending  crisis  is  spreading  thruout 
not  only  this  country,  but  all  the  world.  Individuals 
and  sects  are  now  beginning  to  prophecy — even  to 
set  definite  dates  for  revolutions.  This  is  the  reflex 
effect  of  the  pressure  producers  feel,  without  recog 
nizing  its  source.  This  state  of  mind  is  fallow 
ground  for  the  successful  sowing  of  the  conception 
of  a  balanced  land  tenure,  thru  which  alone  there 
is  any  possibility  of  removing  the  pressure;  for  the 
pressure  is  none  other  than  the  tribute  compelling 
power  generated  by  an  unbalanced  land  tenure." 

"I  wonder  now,"  said  Glen  Harding,  thought 
fully,  "that  we  have  been  so  long  in  realizing  that 
there  must  be  a  natural  law  controlling  the  associa 
tion  of  persons,  just  as  there  is  a  natural  law  con 
trolling  the  orderly  movement  of  the  stars ;  and 
that  all  we  had  to  do  to  secure  the  most  perfect 
conditions  for  human  development  was  to  discover 
that  law  and  live  up  to  it." 

"The  orderly  movement  of  the  stars  was  easily 
seen  and  studied,  for  the  stars  have  no  choice  but 


346  TIII-:  son,  or  THK  WORLD 

t"  obey  to  conform  to  thf  law."  answered  Krnesi 
\Vynn.  "With  persons  it  is  <li iVerent .  for  they 

possess  tin-  power,  and  are  therefore  compelled  \>> 

exercise  the  responsibility,  of  choosing  bet  WITH  con 
formity  to  or  disregard  of  nature's  laws.  No  other 
thin«r  in  nature  possesses  that  power,  or  is  subject 
to  that  responsibility." 

Arthur  Treinont 's  Face  lighted  up.  as  with  a  ray 
<»!'  hope.  "I  am  sun-  nothing  can  be  more  immoral 
than  to  teaeli  disregard  of  lav.  yet  when  people  are 

educated     enough     to     do     without      it     the     eternal     law 

will  appeal-  before  them.  When  we  have  mastered 
our  fate  we  rise  mentally  1o  an  exalted  station  and 
Bee  thin.irs  in  a  different  li«rht.  .Many  people  talk 
of  a  l)ottomless  pit.  not  reali/.iiiLr  that  they  talk  of 
a  loner  tunnel  into  which  we  enter  from  the  dark  side 
of  iirnoranee  and  at  last  come  out  on  the  bright  side 
of  knowled- 

"Thai  is  a  fine  illustration.  Mr.  Tremont."  said 
illen  Harding,  with  an  ai»j)reciati ve  smile,  "of  th-- 
way  we  still  use  the  ideas  taught  by  their  physical 
environment  to  thos<-  who  lived  in  the  childhood 
and  youthtime  of  humanity.  In  those  days  persons 
had  only  to  look  up  t6  §66  that  they  lived  at  the 
"haded  end  of  a  louir  tunnel,  while  a  da/./lin«r  bi-l 
liancy  illuminated  the  far  awav  openinir.  where 
dwelt  knowledge  and  wisdom  and  undeixt  andiiiLT. " 

Krnest  Wyi-n  -lane,.,l  keenly  at  (lie,,  Harding, 
but  her  Lr;i/e  was  fixed  on  Arthur  Trnno.'it.  \\ifh 
what  looked  almo>t  like  a  -jleam  of  mischief  in  hej- 
eyes,  He  turned  quickly  to  Ina/o  Motoi-a  and 
'•••niLrh:  an  appreciative  smile  li«:htin«r  up  his  face. 


KARMA   AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  347 

;m<l  nginii  lie  felt,  as  once  before  that  afternoon,  and 
at  the  well  remembered  meeting  at  the  Metaphysical 
Club,  that  Tnazo  Motora  understood  certain  allu 
sions  where  he  was  himself  wholly  in  the  dark. 
There  was  some  mystery  about  that  knowledge  that 
he  must  clear  up  at  the  earliest  opportunity.  Now 
that  he  thought  of  it,  he  remembered  a  number  of 
such  passing  allusions,  which  had  bewildered  him 
for  the  moment.  They  had  all  been  so  busy  over 
propaganda  plans  that  the  other  subject  had  not 
come  up  in  his  mind — only  at  such  chance  moments. 
Yes,  he  must  now  make  an  effort  to  understand  it 
at  once.  He  would  have  a  talk  with  Glen  Harding 
the  first  chance  he  could  get,  and  solve  this  problem. 

He  was  brought  back  to  the  present  moment  by 
his  host's  voice  saying:  "I  was  over  at  Los 
Angeles  yesterday  and  called  at  the  Van  Nuys  to 
see  a  prominent  Boston  single  taker  who  has  been 
stopping  there  a  few  days.  T  told  him  of  your  dis 
covery,  Mr.  Wynn,  and  handed  him  your  leaflet  on 
a  balanced  land  tenure.  He  glanced  over  it  a  few 
minutes  and  remarked  that  its  language  did  not 
convey  any  definite  meaning  to  him.  I  was  sur 
prised,  and  intimated  that  I  thought  the  conception 
a  very  simple  one.  He  said  he  did  not  see  any  sim 
plicity  in  it,  and  added — I  can  give  his  own  words — 
'The  single  tax  seems  to  insure  absolute  equity,  and 
I  can  see  no  possible  merit  in  this  scheme  you  urge. 
What  we  are  after  is  freedom,  a  striking  off  of 
shackles,  not  creating  machinery  to  run  society'." 

Ernest  Wynn  laughed.  "I  am  not  a  socialist,  and 
the  idea  of  calling  a  balanced  land  tenure  'macfiin- 
orv  to  run  society'  is  too  absurd!  It  takes  awav 


348  THI-:  SOUL  OF  THE   WORLD 


;ill  possible  uri'Miuid  on  which  to  n->t  any  sort  <.| 
social  machinery  other  than  a  few  clerks  of  the  peo 
ple  —  and  the  plain  town  meeting  that  a  Massachu 
setts  man  ought  to  be  able  to  understand.  Surely 
he  knows  that  any  government  other  than  real  self- 
irMvcrnment  can  exist  only  for  the  creation  of  prop 
erty  in  privileges  —  and  its  maintenance." 

"I  tried  to  argue  the  matter  with  him,"  continued 
Will  Dennison,  "pointing  out  that  the  single  tax 
could  not  possibly  bring  'absolute  equity'  because 
it  did  not  solve  the  transportation  question  —  but  he 
said  lie  had  to  leave  for  San  Francisco  in  the  even 
ing  —  wanted  him  to  have  a  talk  with  you  —  and  was 
too  busy  to  take  up  the  subject.  I  could  sec  that 
he  did  not  consider  it  of  any  importance." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  and  there  was  a  touch  of  sad- 
-  in  Glen  Harding's  tone,  "that  it  is  dishonoring 
the  memory  of  Henry  George  for  any  single  taxer 
to  treat  the  land  question  in  such  a  trifling,  thought 
less  manner.  It  looks  as  tho  the  sheeplike  follow 
ing  of  the  letter  of  his  teachings  —  or  a  part  of  them 
—has  tended  everywhere  to  crowd  out  all  the  life 
and  energy  Henry  George's  enthusiasm  and  devo 
tion  put  into  them.  Every  single  taxer  who  wants 
to  do  Henry  George  the  highest  honor  possible  — 
that  of  seriously  and  earnestly  carrying  on  the 
work  to  which  he  gave  his  life  —  ought  to  bear 
e«.nst  ant  ly  in  mind  two  things  he  said:  — 

11  'The  tenure  of  land  is  the  fundamental  fact 
which  must  ultimately  determine  the  conditions  of 
individual,  social  and  political  life.' 

"  'I  propose  to  beg  no  question,  to  shrink    1'rom 
•nMclusinn,  l>ut   to  follow  truth  wherever  it  mav 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  349 

lead.  Upon  us  is  the  responsibility  of  seeking  the 
law,  for  in  the  very  heart  of  our  civilization  today 
women  faint  and  little  children  moan.  But  what 
that  law  may  prove  to  be  is  not  our  affair.  If  the 
conclusions  that  we  reach  run  counter  to  our  preju 
dices,  let  us  not  flinch ;  if  they  challenge  institutions 
that  have  long  been  deemed  wise  and  natural,  let 
us  not  turn  back.'  ' 

As  Glen  Harding  ceased,  her  brother-in-law  said, 
quickly:  "If  that  thought  applies  to  older  beliefs, 
why  should  it  not  to  the  single  tax  or  any  later 
belief  we  may  have  held?  Or  may  come  to  hold? 
No  matter  if  we  did  once  work  hard  for  an  erron 
eous  belief — that  is  surely  no  reason  why  we  should 
cling  to  it  when  we  have  a  chance  to  work  for  the 
truth  instead." 

"People  don't  think  enough,"  remarked  Arthur 
Tremont.  "If  they  once  realized  the  power  of  their 
own  thought  force  in  getting  what  they  desire,  we 
would  have  fewer  thoughtless  persons  about  us." 

"That's  solid  truth,  Mr.  Tremont,"  heartily 
assented  Ernest  Wynn. 

"I  have  noticed  that  thoughtlessness  seems  to  be 
a  striking  characteristic  of  civilization,"  Tnazo 
Motora  began,  "and  yesterday  I  read  an  article  in 
a  recent  number  of  Everybody's  Magazine  that 
seems  to  throw  some  light  on  the  cause.  The  paper 
was  on  'Brain  and  Body,'  and  written  by  a  learned 
doctor,  a  scientist.  He  stated  that  the  brain  is  a 
pair  organ,  having  two  perfectly  matched  hemis 
pheres,  but  that  only  one  'becomes  a  human  brain, 
that  is,  a  brain  with  the  special  mental  endowments 
that  are  human,  while  the  other  remains  thoughtless 


TIM:  SOUL  OF  TIN:  \\<>KIJ> 

for  lit'.'.'  lie  added  tliai  the  reason  for  this  one 
sided  development  of  the  brain  was  the  almost  uni 
versal  one-hand  education  a  mom.:  <-i\ili/ed  people. 
Both  hemispheres  are  equally  urood.  and  which  of 
the  two  will  be  educated,  in  any  person,  depends  on 
whether  the  left  or  the  right  hand  is  most  used. 
That  'all  the  speech  centers  and  all  the  knowing 
and  edncat.-d  places  are  to  be  found'  'only  in  the 
left  hemisphere  of  the  right-handed  and  in  the  right 
hemisphere  of  the  left-handed.1  It  came  to  me  as 
I  read,  Mrs.  Pennismi" — the  Japanese  turned  to  his 
hostess  a  thoughtful  face  and  earnest  eyes  "that 
in  training  them  so  thoroly  in  ambidexterity  yon 
are  giving  your  children  the  foundation  for  a  more 
balaneed.  a  broader  and  higher,  mental  develop 
ment  than  any  person  with  a  one-sided,  half-thought 
less  brain  can  ever  attain." 

"I'm  so  glad  yon  mentioned  that.  Mr  Motora." 
and  Mrs.  Dennison  beamed  with  pleasure.  "  \\Y  ftte 
all,  especially  Mrs.  Dent,  trying  to  train  the  chil 
dren  in  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  letter  of  the  sugges 
tions  given  by  J.  Liberty  Tadd  in  his  New  Methods 
of  Education.  If  this  about  the  brain  is  true,  it 
gives  us  a  stronger  reason  than  ever  for  keeping 
up  the  plan.  I  want  the  children  to  have  the  best 
start  in  life  that  we  can  give  them."  Shr  looked 
lovingly  at  the  little  group  rolling  and  tumbl'mi: 
about  with  their  ellies  in  the  coo]  shade  of  a  droop 
ing  pepper  tree  on  the  edge  of  the  lawn. 

"That  idea  is  worth  investigating.  Motora.  I 
don't  want  our  little  folk  to  be  lop-sided  and  un 
balanced  in  their  minds."  observed  their  father. 
"We  have  too  many  such  people  already." 


KARMA  AND  EQUAL  FREEDOM  351 

"I'll  get  the  magazine  tomorrow,  Birdie,  and  read 
the  article  with  Mrs.  Dent,"  promised  the  children's 
aunt. 

Grace  Knight  looked  toward  the  children  and 
smilingly  remarked,  "I  never  sawT  happier  looking 
little  people  than  they  are.  What  a  pity  that  all 
children  cannot  have  such  free,  glad  times,  con 
trolled  only  by  love!  But  the  dualism  of  good  and 
evil  seems  to  hold  in  everything,  and  some  children 
are  happy  while  others  are  suffering." 

"When  we  have  secured  a  balanced  land  tenure 
we  will  have  done  away  forever  with  that  sort  of 
dualism  of  good  and  evil,"  promptly  retorted 
Ernest  Wynn.  "All  children  will  then  be  healthy 
and  happy,  for  people  will  live  in  harmony  and 
genuine  friendship,  and  develop  to  the  highest  limit 
of  symmetrical  growth  possible  on  this  earth." 

"WTe  could  not  recognize  the  good  without  the 
contrast  of  the  evil,"  objected  Arthur  Tremont, 
"and  therefore  the  best  way  is  to  believe  that  all 
that  comes  is  good." 

"People  are  a  mighty  queer  lot,"  said  Ernest 
Wynn.  "Calling  good  that  which  is  obviously  all 
evil,  and  then  denying  the  possibility  of  replacing 
the  evil  of  this  world  with  genuine  good.  We  have 
learned  so  many  erors  that  it  is  hard  to  grasp  any 
simple  truth — but  that  does  not  alter  the  truth  or 
make  it  less  needful  to  strive  for  it.  We  have  to 
work  all  the  harder  to  abolish  the  errors.  If  we 
abolish  these  in  our  conceptions,  our  acts  will  take 
care  of  themselves." 

"1  should  like  to  live  in  a  time  when  everyone 
was  comfortable  and  happy,"  said  Grace  Knight. 


851  THE  SOUL  OF  T1IE  WORLD 


eyes  sought  Arthur  Tremont's  face,  only  to  find 
him  intent  on  Glen  Harding. 

"You  have  given  me  an  enthusiasm  for  equity. 
Mr.  Wynn,"  said  Ina/.o  Motora,  earnestly,  "and  I 
want  some  of  your  literature  to  send  to  my  friends. 
in  the  hope  of  waking  a  like  feeling  in  them." 

"I'll  be  glad  In  supply  all  you  can  use,"  was  the 
<iuiek  response.  ''I  want  to  spread  the  knowl»  •<]<:,. 
of  the  truth  as  far  and  as  fast  as  possible." 

"I  still  think  we  must  first  get  rid  of  fear,  usinjr 
a  s1rnn<r  will,  urged  on  by  desire,"  said  Arthur  Tn-- 
mont,  "before  we  can  hope  to  accomplish  much  in 
any  line." 

"In  that  case  —  if  that  is  true  —  Mr.  Tremont,  fear 
and  ignorance  must  be  synonymous  :  and  as  knowl 
edge  is  the  only  weapon  with  which  we  can  kill 
ignorance,  we  at  last  hold  in  our  hands  the  power 
to  banish  forever  that  enemy  of  humanity,  and 
prove  the  wisdom  of  the  seer  who  first  said:  'Ye 
-hall  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall  make  you 
free.'  !  There  was  a  ring  of  triumphant  power  in 
(Hen  Ilardm.ir's  voice  as  she  continued:  "The  two 
discoveries-  one  Diving  us  the  key  to  all  the  mys- 
1  cries  of  the  past  ;  the  other  showinir  plainly  the  way 
to  banish  all  the  evils  and  miseries  of  the  present  — 
open  wide  the  door  to  an  immediate  peaceful  and 
irlorious  future.  A  future  in  which  the  soul  of  tin- 
world  true  freedom.  e<|nal  freedom  —  will  have 
room  to  expand  and  show  us  for  the  first  time  in 
all  hist  (Try  the  possibilities  of  human  attainment  and 
human  happiness,  under  the  influence  <»f  equity,  har 
mony.  and  universal  friendship." 


CHAPTER   17. 


WHICH   SHALL   IT   BE? 

"Glen,  have  you  much  to  do  in  the  garden  this 
morning?'-  asked  Mrs.  Dennison,  on  Monday,  as 
the  family  rose  from  the  breakfast  table. 

"Only  a  little.  Sue  kept  it  in  fine  shape  while 
I  was  gone.  I'll  be  thru  in  half  an  hour  if  you 
want  me  for  anything." 

"Come  up  to  my  room  as  soon  as  you  can,  Glen, 
and  I'll  tell  you." 

The  blue  and  white  room  in  which  Glen  Harding- 
found  her  sister  a  half  hour  later  was  large  and  airy, 
opening  onto  the  family  pergola,  with  its  glass 
enclosed  porch  at  one  end.  A  full  length  mirror, 
its  white  frame  sprinkled  with  blue  forget-me-nots, 
had  a  place  between  the  two  long  windows  on  the 
north  side  of  the  room. 

Mrs.  Dennison,  seated  in  a  large  arm  chair  near 
the  mirror  and  occupied  with  a  bit  of  fine  sewing, 
looked  up  and  put  aside  her  work  as  her  sister 
entered  the  room. 

"Now,  Glen,"  she  said,  "I  want  you  to  stand  in 
front  of  this  glass  and  look  at  yourself." 

With  ready  obedience,  tho  somewhat  mystified, 
Glen  Harding  placed  herself  as  directed  and  looked 
at  the  not  unpleasant  picture  thus  revealed. 

"Anything  the  matter  with  my  clothes?"  she 
questioned,  twisting  herself  about  and  looking  over 


:;"i  TIN-:  BOUL  OF  Tin-:  WOBLD 

her  should.'!-  in  the  effort  to  see  the  back  breadth* 
<>f  her  neat    gardening  costume. 

"Your  clothes  are  ;ill  right,  (lien.  I  \\;in!  y.-u  to 
look  ;it  yourself." 

Glen  Harding  turned  again  to  the  mirror  ami 
studied  her  relleeted  self.  A  straight,  trim  figure, 
with  tin1  grace  of  health  showing  in  i'orm  and 
motion.  A  bright  face.  somewhat  tanned  b\  expo 
sure  to  the  Southern  ( 'alit'oniia  sunshine,  crowned 
by  masses  of  dark  In-own  hair  that  rarely  knew  the 
\\eight  of  a  hat.  Two  clear  gray  eyes,  wide  open 
and  eager,  glanced  hack  at  her  with  a  (piestion  in 
their  depths. 

•Well.   Birdie,    what    is  it?" 

"Jnst  look  at  that  yoiin.ir  woman."  her  sister 
nodd'-d  toward  the  reflection  in  the  mirror,  "and 
then  remember  the  tired-out  old  maid  you  saw  in 
that  same  glass  three  years  ajro.  I  declare.  (Jlen. 
you  look  at  lejist  ten  years  younger  today  than  you 
did  when  yon  came  out  here  three  years  airo!" 

Her  sister  laughed  gaily.  "I  feel  that  way.  too. 
The  old  thing  who  came  out  here  has  «.mne  forever. 
1'ei-haps  you  remember  that  I  told  you.  P.irdie."  she 
added,  in  serious  tones,  as  she  seated  herself  in  a 
low  chair  near  her  sister,  "that  the  whole  school 
system  was  so  horribly  artitieial  and  grind  in  ir  that 
it  was  wearing  the  life  out  of  me;  and  it  is  wr- 
for  the  children  than  for  the  teachers." 

"1  believe  now  that  you  were  right.  (Jlen."  her 
Bitter  assented,  thoughtfully,  "tho  at  the  time  I 
considered  it  merely  your  opinion.  P.ut  I  want  to 
talk  of  something  else  this  morning.  When  you 


WHICH  SHALL  IT  BE  355 

came  out  to  stay  with  us  three  years  ago  I  thought 
you  would  be  such  a  nice  old  maid  aunt  for  the 
children — and  now  I  have  a  young  woman  on  my 
hands  with  three  lovers  to  choose  from!" 

The  older  sister  laughed  heartily.  "It  is  a  curi 
ous  situation,  Birdie,  and  I  can  just  imagine  your 
feelings.  You  expected  a  quiet,  grandmotherly 
sort  of  person,  to  stay  in  the  family;  and  now  you 
find  yourself  with  a  lively,  marriageable  daughter 
to  be  disposed  of!  It's  really  too  bad." 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,  Glen.  I  like  you  ever  so  much 
better  as  you  are." 

"So  do  I."  Glen  Harding  rose  impulsively  and 
stood  before  the  easy  chair,  looking  down — with 
a  world  of  gratitude  in  her  eyes — at  the  beautiful 
woman  seated  there.  "Birdie,  I  can  never  thank 
you  enough  for  having  me  come  out  here,  and  giv 
ing  me  this  chance  for  real  living,  for  doing  some 
thing  worth  while  in  the  world."  She  stooped, 
quickly,  and  kissed  her  sister,  then  sat  down  again 
beside  her. 

"You  have  done  as  much  for  me  as  I  possibly  can 
for  you,  Glen.  I  want  to  tell  you,  Glen,"  she 
leaned  forward  and  spoke  in  lowered  tones,  as  one 
communicating  a  valued  secret:  "You  know  Will 
and  I  were  always  happy  together;  but  since  you 
came,  and  more  than  ever  since  Mr.  Wynn  has  been 
here,  it  has  somehow  become  different,  and  we  are 
getting  to  be  more  and  more  to  each  other.  You 
never  said  anything,  but  someway,  you  have  been 
showing  both  of  us  the  possibilities  of  a  fuller  and 
richer  life  together.  Why,  Glen.  Will  is  beginning 


3r,6  THK  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

to  tell  me  all  about  his  business  now,  so  I  will  know 
just  how  things  are,  and  he  talked  over  all  Mr. 
Wynn's  plans  with  me,  ami  what  we  might  do,  and 
a^ked  me  to  help  decide  about  the  amount  of  money 
to  put  in,  and  other  things,  just  as  tho  my  opinions 
counted  as  much  as  his  own.  It's  a  new  life  to  me. 
Glen,  to  both  of  us,  and  now  I  am  quite  sure  Will 
and  I  can  never  drift  apart  in  that  awful  way  BO 
many  married  people  do." 

"I'm  so  glad.  Kin  lie.  so  glad  for  you — and  for 
Will,  too.  lie  did  not  half  realize  the  treasure  he 
had.  Now  you  will  both  live  more  and  grow  more, 
and  so  have  constantly  more  to  give  each  other  and 
the  children." 

"It  makes  life  look  bigger — more  worth  living. 
I  want  you  to  have  a  home  of  your  own,  Glen,  and 
know  the  richer  life  for  yourself.  There  are  those 
three  men  to  .-boose  from." 

Her  sister  smiled.  "What  are  you  going  to  do 
about  that.  Birdie?" 

"I?  Nothing,  unless  you  want  some  advice.  But 
1  would  like  very  much  to  know  which  of  those 
men  you  intend  to  marry." 

"Then  you  are  quite  sure  I  will  marry?  Why 
should  I?  I  have  been  happier  with  you.  Birdie. 
than  I  ever  was  before — since  we  were  children." 

"You  have  hern,  but  you  will  never  be  satisfied 
airain  until  you  have  a  home  of  your  own.  I  can 
Bee  thai.  You  can  make  a  real  home.  Glen,  and 
1h"sr  mm  ;ill  want  you.  It  will  not  be  long  before 
you  will  have  to  refuse  at  least  two  of  them." 

"I  don't  intend  to  do  anything  of  the  sort.  Birdie. 


WHICH  SHALL  IT  BE  357 

You  may  laugh  at  my  notions,  but  if  I  am  suited  to 
any  one  of  those  three  men,  then  two  of  them  are 
mistaken  when  they  think  they  want  me.  They 
want  what  they  imagine  me  to  be  or  what  they 
think  I  could  be  to  them." 

"How  queerly  you  talk,  Glen.  You  know  well 
enough  that  they  are  all  in  love  with  you,  and  that 
you  can  have  any  one  of  them  you  choose  to  take." 

"But,  Birdie,  just  think  how  different  they  are! 
I  am  not  three  different  persons.  If  I  could  be 
thoroly  happy  with  one  of  those  men  I  could  not 
make  either  of  the  others  happy,  or  be  contented 
myself  if  I  made  the  mistake  of  choosing  the  wrong 
one." 

"I  never  heard  anyone  talk  so  about  lovers 
before,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Dennison.  "I  am  sure  T 
don't  want  you  to  make  a  mistake,  and  be  unhappy 
when  it  is  too  late  to  change.  Those  men  offer 
you  very — or  they  will  pretty  soon—  '  she  smiled 
over  her  break  and  began  again:  "Those  men  can 
certainly  offer  you  Very  different  homes  and  pros 
pects.  I  am  sure  I  want  you  to  marry  the  one  who 
will  make  you  happiest.  But  I  honestly  don't  know 
which  that  is,  Glen.  'Which  shall  it  be?'  "  she 
quoted,  half  laughing,  half  serious. 

"I  have  thought  over  the  answer  to  that  question 
a  good  deal,  Birdie." 

"You  must  decide  soon.  Mr.  Tremont  will  surely 
propose  the  first  chance  he  can  get.  He  did  not 
want  to  go  back  with  Mr.  Motora  last  night,  but 
could  not  see  how  to  refuse.  Didn't  you  notice  how 
relieved  he  looked  when  he  found  that  Mr.  Wynn 
was  iroinff  at.  the  same  time?" 


THI-:  son,  or  TMK  WORLD 

''No,    1    W.MS    not    thinking   of    Mr.    Tremmit    then. 
D<»  you  think  he  is  the  ri«rht  one.  Birdie?'' 
"No,   I  don't!"      'I'ln-    answer    was    prompt    and 

emphatic.  "You  talk  as  strangely  sometimes  as  he 
does,  about  that  old  paganism  and  far  back  times 
and  oriental  nonsense;  Init  even  Daisy  and  I  can 
gee  that  it  is  not  in  quite  the  same  way." 

"I   should  hope  not,"  interpolated  her  sister. 

"New.  I  have  watched  them  together,"  itinued 

» 

.Mrs.  Dennison,  ''and  I  think  Grace  Knight  and 
Arthur  Tremont  are  admirably  suited  to  each  other 
and  would  be  happy  together,  and  she  could  help 
him  in  his  work  of  teaching  that  .-astern  mysticism." 
"I  entirely  agree  with  you  in  that  Birdie,  and  if 
I  don't  have  to  refuse  him.  Mr.  Tremont  will  aee 
his  mistake  much  quicker,  and  very  likely  win  (Jraee 
siMin.  I  am  not  at  all  the  sort  of  woman  he  persists 
in  thinking  me  to  be.  I  will  count  on  yon  to  help 
me  if  he  comes  again  before  this  question  is 


decided. 

"Indeed  I  will.  (Hen.  Von  have  taken  a  load  off 
my  mind."  and  the  younger  gister  leaned  baek  in 
her  chair  wilh  a  sigh  of  relief.  "1  felt  sure  you 
would  not  be  happy  with  Mr.  Tremont.  Now.  about 
the  others.  Did  you  notice  that  Mr.  .Motora  got 
Will  otV  alone  in  the  library  awhile,  just  before  they 
left  last  evening?" 

"Yes.  and  I  notie.-d  thai  Mr.  Motora  looked  very 
serious.  \Yas  it  anything  import  ant  .'  " 

"That    all    depends   on    how    you    look    al    il.      Mr. 
Motora    told    Will      as    \<>ur   only    visible    male    r«-la 
live      that    he    wished    to    marry    you.      lie    ha 


WHICH  SHALL  IT  BE  359 

high  minded  notions  and  does  some  things  iti  such 
serious  ways." 

"That's  one  of  the  things  I  like  about  him.  But 
what  did  Will  say?"  There  was  considerable  curi 
osity  in  the  look  that  accompanied  the  question. 

Her  sister  laughed.  "Will  says  he  told  him  to  go 
in  and  win,  with  his  blessing,  if  he  could.  That  he 
and,  I  had  no  voice  in  your  decision  in  such  a  mat 
ter,  but  that  wre  would  heartily  approve  of  your 
choice  if  you  accepted  him.  So  you  see  he  will  ask 
you  the  first  time  he  comes,  wrhen  he  gets  back." 

"Back?     From  where?" 

"Didn't  Will  tell  you?  Oh,  I  remember  now. 
You  had  gone  out,  and  he  was  in  a  hurry  to  get  off. 
Mr.  Motora  phoned  Will  just  after  breakfast,  that 
he  was  called  suddenly  to  San  Francisco,  but  that 
he  would  be  back  in  time  for  Jack  Romanic's  party, 
if  not  sooner." 

"Mr.  Wynn  is  going  to  be  there,  too.  He  told  me 
he  had  never  been  to  such  a  party  before,  but  Jack 
insists  that  he  must  not  fail  him.  Jack  is  going  to 
help  him  select  a  costume.  I  wonder  what  it  will 
be?" 

"Something  appropriate,  if  they  let  Mrs.  Romaine 
help  decide.  She  devotes  herself  to  Jack,  and  is  so 
happy  now,  she  would  do  anything  for  Mr.  AVynn. 
But,  Glen,  shall  you  accept  Mr.  Motora  when  he 
asks  you?" 

"What  do  you  think  of  him,  Birdie?" 

"He  is  a  thoroly  fine  man,  personally.  Then  his 
energy  and  ability,  his  rank  and  wealth,  will  give 
him  a  position  of  great  influence  in  his  own  land. 


360  THE  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

li's  ,-i  >plendid  opportunity  for  you,  Glen.  Tho  we 
have  known  him  only  as  plain  .Mr.  Motora,  h 
now.  thru  his  uncle's  death,  a  count  of  the  realm. 
Th.n  ihere  is  Helen.  You  and  she  would  be  a  great 
pleasure  and  help  to  each  other  if  living  near  t<»- 
.in-ther  in  .Japan." 

"Then  you  would  be  pleased  to  have  me  marry 
Ina /.o  Motors?" 

"Yes.  if  you  care  for  him  in  that  way,  Glen.  Tin- 
part  I  don't  like  a  bit  is  the  thought  of  your  goin«r 
so  far  away.  Hut  Will  says  we  could  V'IMI  you,  and 
sometimes  \<>u  would  come  back  and  visit  us.  The 
children  will  be  dreadfully  lonesome  for  you,  Glen." 

"The  darlings!  Yes,  I  would  certainly  have  to 
eoiiK-  back  sometimes,  and  you  would  all  come  over 
1o  Japan  when  the  children  are  a  little  older." 

"Then  you  don't  care  for  Ernest  \\ynn  .'''  There 
was  a  trace  of  disappointment  in  Mrs.  Dennisoifs 
tone.  "lias  he  never  intimated  that  he  would  like 
1«>  marry  you?" 

Her  sister  smiled.  "Mr.  Wynii  has  never  asked 
me  to  marry  him,  and  he  is  not  at  all  sentimental  in 
his  manner." 

"Will  admires  him  ever  so  much,  and  I  like  him. 
He  really  seems,  someway,  like  one  of  the  family; 
and  you  can  see  how  the  children  all  love  him." 

"Yes,  then  there  is  evidently  no  need  of  my 
marrying  him.  You  all  have  his  friendship  and  can 
keep  that  up  even  if  I  go  to  Japan." 

"Of  course  we  would  see  him  sometimes,  but  noi 
SO  often  as  now.  He  will  sn.m  In-  fun  busy  with  his 
new  plans.  I'esides.  you  arc  the  real  altraetion  for 


WHICH  SHALL  IT  BE  361 

him   here.     J   saw  that  from  the  start.     If  you  are 
gone,  of  course  he  would  not  care  to  come  so  often." 

"He  likes  the  children  so  much,  Birdie,  he  is  sure 
to  keep  coming  on  their  account." 

"Then  you  do  mean  to  go  to  Japan?  Oh,  Glen,  1 
sort  of  hoped  that  it  was  Mr.  Wynn  you  thought 
the  most  of.  He  does  not  act  sentimental,  I  admit. 
But  you  can  be  certain  that  you  are  all  the  world 
to  him.  He  talks  plain  propaganda,  but  he  thinks 
propaganda,  with  you  as  the  central  figure  in  it. 
Glen,  I  cannot  imagine  how  he  is  going  to  carry  out 
those  plans  without  you." 

"You  are  eloquent,  Birdie.  Has  Mr.  AVynn  asked 
you  to  plead  his  cause?" 

"No,  indeed!     He  has  never  said  a  word  to  me 
on  the  subject,  nor  looked  a  look.    I  just  know  from 
watching  him  and  listening  when  you  are  all  talk-' 
ing  together.    I  know  I  am  right.    He  is  so  different, 
in  some  ways,  from  any  man  I  ever  met  before." 

"'Then  you  would  like  him  as  a  brother?" 

"Yes,  indeed,  I  would!  He  would  make  an  ideal 
uncle  for  the  children,  too.  Just  think,  Glen,  how 
splendid  it  would  be  for  you  to  live  out  here  near 
us,  where  we  could  visit  each  other  any  day,  and 
the-  children  could  go  to  spend  the  day  with  you 
now  and  then.  I  just  long  to  have  such  an  old 
homey  sort  of  plan — and  it  would  be  a  great  thing 
for  the  children." 

"But  think  of  the  great  work  I  might  be  able  to 
do  in  Japan." 

"You  can  do  just  as  great  work  here,  as  far  as 
that  goes.  There  are  more  people  here — in  this 


TMI-:  son.  OF  TIM: 

country,  lint  you  cannot  decide  this  ijucst  i<»n  by 
the  work,  (ilen.  Von  have  to  make  up  your  mind 
which  man  you  care  the  most  for.  That  is  tin-  onl\ 
tiling  for  you  to  consider,  so  as  to  make  no  mistake. 
They  an-  both  tine  men.  and- --nil.  I  declare,  Glen. 
I  don't  know  which  one  you  are  thinking  about, 
with  that  smile  on  your  fa«-e !  Shall  you  «rn  {•> 

Japan f" 

"Mama.  Mama"  and  Merwyn  came  running  in. 
"Where  is  Auntie  Glen,  please?  I've  hunted  every 
where.  Oh.  there  yon  are!  Auntie  Glen,  Mr.  "Wynn 
is  down  in  the  garden  and  wants  to  see  you.  Fay 
took  him  to  our  playhouse  lo  show  him  something 
we  just  made.  I'll  show  it  to  you.  Mama." 

"I'll  come  down  and  see  it  pretty  soon,  dear," 
said  Mrs.  Dennison. 

"It's  a  machine  we  fixed  up.  Auntie  (Hen.  because 
it's  cloudy  this  morn'mir.  and  we  like  the  sunshine 
better."  Mei-uyn  explained,  as  they  went  down  the 
stairs  and  out  into  the  garden. 

They  found  Krnest  Wynn  and  Kay  bending  over 
and  intently  studying,  with  heads  rinse  together,  a 
complicated  structure  of  twiurs  and  wheels  and 
strings,  erected  in  the  sand  bed.  Several  dolls  were 
standing  and  sitting  around  in  lifelike  attitudes, 
(lien  Hardinir  paused  a  moment  to  listen  to  Kay's 
explanation,  before  the  ^iicst  should  see  her. 

"You  see,  Mr.  Wynn."  the  child  was  saying, 
"Little  Daisy  and  Wee  l>aisy  can't  work  the 
weather.  They  can't  make  the  weather  the  way  they 
want  it.  They  wanted  the  weather  to  shine.  They 
tried  to  make  the  \\-rather  the  way  they  wanted  it 


WHICH  SHALL  IT  BE  363 

by  working  their  machines  a  certain  way,  but  they 
could  not  make  it  work." 

"Maybe  it's  only  working  a  little  slow,"  said  the 
visitor.  "See,  the  clouds  are  breaking  and  going 
away  now,  and  if  they  keep  on,  the  weather  may 
be  all  right  in  a  few  minutes." 

"I'll  try  it,"  said  Fay,  and  the  visitor  helped 
place  the  two  dolls  at  the  machine — then  he  looked 
up  and  saw  Glen  Harding  standing  near,  and  to  him 
the  light  seemed  bright  enough. 


<  HAiTKR 


"I  MIII  particularly  irlad  1<>  see  you,  .Mr.  \Yynn." 
said  (il.-ii  Iliirdinu.  as  she  urc.-ted  him  with  a  cordial 
handclasp,  ''for  T  want  to  show  you  somethin.ir  I 
received  in  this  morning's  mail." 

"Then  I  am  not  hindering  v<>ur  work?" 

"Not  at  all.  Sue  Adams  kept  the  garden  so  well 
that  T  am  taking  a  s«-mi-vacat  ion  of  a  few  days 
longer,  before  getting  down  to  real  work  ajrain." 

"I  saw  .Miss  Adams  h«-iv  several  times  while  you 
were  away.  She  told  me  you  taught  her  gardenin<:. 
and  that  she  likes  the  work  here." 

"Yes,  she  adores  Birdie,  and  is  fond  of  the  chil 
dren.  I  found  her  ahoiit  a  year  airo,  clerking  in  a 
dry  goods  store  on  Colorado  Street,  for  the  magnifi- 
eent  sum  of  two  dollars  and  a  halt'  a  week.  Think 
of  it!  She  is  very  bright,  and  I  became  interested 
in  her,  and  we  were  soon  friends.  She  lives  with 
her  mother  and  a  yonn<_  r,  and  their  ineom.- 

wa<  s<»  small  that  Sue's  wages  helped  out.  But  it 
seemed  ontrn.irrons  to  me.  so  I  told  Birdie  about  her. 
She  otVeivd  Sne  three  dollars  a  week  t<>  start  with 

if  she  would  corn*-  here  ;md  learn  gardening.  Now 
Sue  is  i-.-ady  to  take  my  }>laee  whenever  I  resign." 

Krnesf  Wynn  started.  "Are  you  thinkiiii:  of  n«- 
si^rning?" 

"Yet,  but   not    rijrht   away.     Let    us  «ro  over  there 


A  DISCLOSURE  365 

where  we  can  talk  comfortably."  They  had  been 
standing  beside  the  playhouse,  and  Glen  Harding 
now  led  the  way  to  seats  at  the  far  end  of  the  per 
gola,  where  the  view  was  finest,  and  the  vines  made 
a  pleasant  retreat,  while  the  warm  air  passed  thru, 
and  the  morning  sunshine — now  rapidly  driving  the 
clouds  away — made  sharply  cut  shadows  of  the  inde 
scribably  beautiful  tangle  of  stems  and  leaves  and 
flowers  on  the  light  flooring. 

As  they  seated  themselves  Glen  Harding  remarked, 
"I  must  first  explain  that  since  you  began  to  get 
out  your  leaflets  about  a  balanced  land  tenure  I 
have  been  writing  to  a  number  of  persons — single 
taxers  and  others — and  trying  to  get  them  interested 
enough  to  want  to  be  among  the  first  to  take  up 
this  final  struggle  for  freedom — final,  because  there 
can  be  no  stop  now  until  it  is  won.  Among  others 
I  wrote  to  this  man,"  pointing  to  the  upper  left- 
hand  corner  of  an  envelope  she  had  just  drawn  from 
her  pocket.  "Of  course  you  know  him?" 

"Very  well.  I  met  him  at  the  first  single  tax  con 
ference.  I  was  a  very  young  man  then,  but  quite 
old  enough  to  receive  and  retain  some  vivid  impres 
sions.  This  man  is  a  thoroly  earnest  worker,  and 
his  is  one  of  the  most  widely  known  names  in  the 
movement,  both  on  account  of  the  literature  he 
wrote,  and  his  active  local  work." 

"I  wrote  to  him,"  said  Glen  Harding,  "just  a 
note,  but  as  earnestly  as  I  could,  Mr.  Wynn,  calling 
his  attention  to  your  discovery  of  the  source  of  real 
rent;  and  sent  leaflets.  I  asked  him  to  help  spread 
the  knowledge  of  a  balanced  land  tenure." 


r,'-,r,  THE  SOUL  OF  THK   WORLD 

"And  that  is  his  reply.'"  Krnest  Wynn  looked, 
with  the  interested  r:igrni»'ss  of  one  about  to  hear 
a  message  from  a  one-time  comrade  in  arms,  at  the 
envelope  Glen  Harding  still  held  in  her  hand. 

"Yes."  and  sin-  held  it  toward  him.  "Please  read 
it  and  tell  me  what  you  think  of  it." 

With  a  sense  of  wonder  at  the  toueh  of  pity  in 
her  tone.  Kniest  Wynn  pinehed  the  cut  end  of  the 
envelope  and  two  printed  post  eards  dropped  out. 
He  picked  them  up  and  then  shook  the  envelope 
open  end  down.  "  Is  that  all  .' "  he  asked  in  surprise. 

"Yes,  please  read  them.  .Mi-.   Wynn." 

He  glanced  over  them  and  found  one  to  contain 
([notations  from  Harper's  Weekly  on  "  happinesx " 
thru  getting  "rid  of  ourselves"  and  concluding  with 
the  statement  that  "then-  is  no  suffering,  no  strujz- 
glc.  no  shame  that  may  not  justify  itself,  provided 
the  issue  be  -virtue  and  wisdom."  The  second  card 
proved  to  be  a  sort  of  sermonette  mi  "contentment," 
•mined  by  ideals  "above  mere  transitory  things," 
and  livinir  "in  touch  and  company  with  the  Omni 
potent."  "A  contentment  which,  mocking  the 
world's  mad  rush  and  anxiety,  pillows  its  head  upon 
the  bosom  of  the  Infinite.  ;md  walks  with  him  in 
daily  living." 

Ernest    Wynn    read    the    cards    thru,    while    Glen 

Harding    watched    the    changing    expression    of    his 

face.      As    he    n.-ared   the   end,   she   asked:      "Do  you 

any  help  in  Iliat   for  the  children   in  the  cotton 

factories  of  the  South   or  the  slums  of  the   North?" 

Krnest  Wynn  looked  up.  "It's  damnable!"  In1 
exploded. 


A  DISCLOSURE  367 

Grlen  Harding  did  not  look  shocked.  On  the  con 
trary,  she  assented,  promptly  and  gravely.  "You 
are  right,  Mr.  Wynn,  there  are  no  words  in  the 
English  language  strong  enough  with  wrhich  to  ade 
quately  condemn  such  teaching  from  one  who  has 
once  seen  the  light  on  the  land  question." 

Ernest  Wynn  glanced  again  at  the  name  printed 
on  the  corner  of  the  envelope  he  still  held.  "This 
man  is  a  lawyer,  and  he  knowrs  that  all  the  crime 
and  misery  about  us  is  due  to  man-made  statutes." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Wynn.  And  I  marvel  how  any  one 
who  has  seen  the  truth  as  clearly  and  stated  the 
case  as  plainly  as  this  man  once  did,  could  have 
become  so  weak,  mentally,  as  the  sending  of  these 
cards  to  me  would  seem  to  indicate.  It  must  be 
either  that  or "  she  hesitated. 

"Or  he  is  trying  to  deceive  himself  and  throw  oft' 
all  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  injustice  so  fla 
grant  everywhere — to  excuse  himself  from  further 
work  for  that  freedom  which  alone  can  eradicate 
the  degradation  and  poverty  and  suffering  that  he 
cannot  avoid  seeing  around  him,"  suggested  Ernest 
Wynn. 

"I  begin  to  think,  Mr.  Wynn,  that  many  single 
taxers  have  become  dazed  by  the  hopelessness  of 
desultory  work  as  a  means  of  accomplishing  any 
thing.  It  is  a  growing  wonder  to  me  to  know  what 
has  become  of  all  the  ardent  enthusiasm  of  a  few 
years  ago." 

"I  believe  it  is  really  that  sense  of  hopelessness 
that  has  led  so  many  single  taxers  into  going  off 
after  New  Thought,  socialism.  Theosophy,  Christian 


THE  SOUL  OF  Till:   W<  >KLD 

Science,  or  such  stuff  as  this,"  and  Ernest  Wynn 
glanced  with  disgust  at  the  cards  lying  on  the  light 
stand  beside  him. 

"That  may  be,  Mr.  Wynn ;  but,"  and  Imp, 
sounded  again  in  Glen  Harding's  voice,  "once  let 
them  grasp  the  fact  that  a  balanced  land  tenure  is 
based  on  a  natural  law,  easily  understood,  and  as 
impersonal  as  the  law  of  gravitation;  a  law  the 
working  of  which  is  as  immutable  and  invariable  as 
that  of  any  other  law  of  physics,  and  that  thru  tin- 
recognition  of  this  fact  in  nature,  and  placing  our 
selves  in  harmony  with  it,  we  can  secure  a  prompt 
and  permanent  settlement  of  the  land  question,  ami 
stand  forth  as  self-governed,  rational  beings,  in  the 
fine,  inspiring  air  of  real  freedom,  equal  freedom, 
then — oh,  Mr.  Wynn,  then  all  the  smoldering 
embers  of  their  old-time  fire  of  enthusiasm  Tor  the 
L-T.-at  cause  of  human  freedom  will  be  fanned  into 
a  new  and  brighter  flame  of  active  work  and  indi 
vidual  zeaL" 

Ernest  Wyim's  eyes  kindled  for  a  moment  with 
the  brightness  of  as>nr«-d  victory.  "Yes.  Miss  Hard 
ing,  it  will  burn  brighter  than  ever  before.  Single 
taxers  want  freedom,  and  they  want  to  work  for  it. 
and  they  will,  as  soon  as  they  catch  a  glimpse  of 
the  truth  we  have  found — for  yon  helped  me  mor  • 
than  you  knew  in  the  finding  of  it."  His  thoughts 
went  back  to  the  letters  he  knew  so  well. 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  that.  The  question  for  us 
now  is  to  find  the  quickest  and  best  way  to  get  tin 
truth  before  the  people,  and  I  believe  the  new  plan- 
for  the  propaganda  will  do  it  rapidly.  All  gennin  ' 


A  DISCLOSURE  369 

lovers  of  freedom  will  be  with  us,  once  they  see 
that  we  are  merely  Avorking  to  secure  recognition 
of  a  natural  law.  Then,  when  the  people  generally 
get  to  talking  about  it,  they  will  soon  understand. 
The  result  is  sure — for  it  is  something  everyone — 
rich  and  poor  alike — can  welcome  gladly." 

"Yes,"  he  companion  assented.  "Once  set  a  live 
discussion  going,  on  this  great  truth,  and  no  power 
on  earth  can  stop  it — short  of  the  goal  of  established 
equal  freedom.  But  we  must  get  single  taxers,  and 
all  other  conscious  lovers  of  true  freedom,  to  see  that 
their  work  is  for  immediate  success.  They  must 
understand  clearly  that  it  is  something  to  be  won 
right  here  and  now.  Too  many  people  talk  and 
write  as  tho  equitable  conditions  were  something  to 
eternally  strive  for — but  quite  unattainable  in  our 
time." 

"And  that  very  suggestion  helps  to  keep  things 
as  they  are,  or  to  actively  make  them  worse,  by  its 
constant  encouragement  of  inequity,"  interpolated 
Glen  Harding. 

"It  seems  to  me,"  Ernest  Wynn  continued,  "that 
the  almost  universal  acceptance  of  Darwinism,  with 
its  notion  of  slow  evolution  thru  the  ages,  has  much 
to  do  with  this  indifference  and  failure  to  recognize 
present  possibilities." 

"But  don't  you  see  that  annular  evolution  does 
away  with  all  that  and  gives  us  solid  ground  on 
which  to  stand?"  Glen  Harding  spoke  eagerly. 
"Since  you  have  been  here  we  have  been  so  busy 
over  the  immediate  present  that  I  have  rather  neg 
lected  the  study  of  the  past  and — 


370  TIIK  soUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  came  to  talk  about  this 
morning,"  broke  in  Krnest  \Yynn.  "I  have  been 
so  puzzled  over  it  for  sometime,  and  I  want  to  get 
the  matter  straight  in  my  mind.  I  noticed  yester 
day  that  when  you  >poke  in  a  positive  tone  about 
tilings  in  the  remote  past.  Mr.  Motora  seemed  to 
understand  you,  but  Mr.  Trnm.nt.  as  well  as  the 
others,  looked  rather  lost," 

"Mr.  .Motora  lias  been  studying  feoltflBOfc  Vail's 
works  for  some  nmulhs.  and  is  going  to  study  with 
him  as  soon  as  he  comes  home.  1  hope  he  will  be 
back  this  week.  You  are  sure  to  like  him,  but  I've 
never  been  ablo  to  get  Mr.  Tn  mont  to  even  read 
his  books.  He  is  always  'ton  busy,'  or  something." 

"Who  is  this  Professor  Vail.'  1  don't  remember 
hearing  anything  about  him  before." 

"Glen  Harding's  eyes  opened  widely.  "Is  it  pos 
sible  that  I  never  mentioned  him  to  yon?  Hut  then, 
he  has  been  away  all  this  time,  and  we  have  all  been 
so  busy  with  Helen,  ,-md  jn  starting  the  propaganda. 
I  received  his  letter  only  this  morning,  saying  he 
hopes  to  l>c  home  this  week." 

"But,  who  is  he.1  I  don't  understand  what  you 
are  talking  about.  Norwood  told  me,"  Ernest 
\Vynn  hurried  on  now.  determined  to  have  it  all  out, 
"that  yon  were  a  living  proof  of  reincarnation  in 
this  world,  and  that  all  you  said  at  the  Metaphysical 
Chili  \\  as  from  memory,  your  memory  of  your  own 
past  lives,  and 

"Did   yon    believe   him.'"  she   interrupted. 

"AVell.  DO,  I  did  not.  really.  But  I  could  not 
understand  yon.  for  I  <•  >idd  not  imagine  where  you 


A  DISCLOSURE  371 

found  such  ideas.  Norwood  had  asked  me  at  first 
not  to  mention  him  in  connection  with  this  subject, 
but  said  it  did  not  matter,  after  the  way  you  talked 
at  the  Club,  as  that  was  ample  proof  of  the  truth 
of  his  belief." 

"And  that  is  the  light  in  which  the  Club  looked 
at  what  I  said  that  night?  Mr.  Norwood  had  begged 
me  to  tell  them  something  of  that  particular  stage 
of  the  world,  but,"  and  she  smiled,  "he  never  told 
me  that  I  was  a  proof  of  reincarnation.  The  fact 
is,  Mr.  Wynn,  that  the  whole  theosophical  structure 
is  built  up  on  a  misconception  of  canopy  memor 
ials.  All  religions,  eastern  and  western,  had  the 
same  origin,  and  you  will  find  that  they  all  tell  the 
same  stories;  whether  you  find  them  in  the  Sacred 
Books  of  the  East,  in  the  Christian  Bible,  or  in  the 
literature  of  the  American  Indians.  The  study  is 
perfectly  fascinating,  and  Professor  Vail's  discov 
ery — with  all  that  it  involves — is  of  vital  impor 
tance  to  the  cause  of  human  freedom,  for  in  showing 
their  origin  it  enables  us  to  utterly  overthrow  the 
authority  of  all  sorts  of  superstitious  beliefs  that  are 
holding  people  in  bondage  today.  In  a  way,  it 
makes  plain  history  of  much  that  is  called  super 
stition." 

"That  wrould  be  a  decidedly  good  thing  to  get 
hold  of,"  said  Ernest  Wynn,  heartily.  "But  I  really 
do  not  understand  what  you  are  talking  about." 

Glen  Harding  looked  surprised.  "Did  you  not 
read  Professor  Vail's  books?  Those  I  sent  you  last 
winter?" 

"I  never  received  anv  such  books.     I  was  on  the 


»7I  THK  SOUL  UK  T1IK   \Y<>KLI> 

ill  winter,  and  they  never  reaehed  me.  Possiblv 
father  got  hold  of  them  and  has  them  stored  a\vay. 
I'll  write  him  at  once  about  them." 

""Well,  I  declare!  How  we  have  misunderstood 
each  other  all  these  months,  and  how  silly  I  must 
have  seemed  to  you;" 

"No.  you  never  seemed  silly,  for  you  were  too 
elear-headed  and  earnest  on  the  land  question.  I 
euiifess,  tho,  that  I  was  greatly  puzzled,  at  times. 
for  you  never  seemed  the  sort  ,,f  person  Norwood 
made  you  out  to  be." 

"I  should  hope  not,  from  what  you  say  :  Hut  J  '11 
talk  to  that  Metaphysical  Club  again,  and  tell  them 
some  plain  truths."  Glen  Harding  's  tone  was  em 
phatic,  tho  there  was  an  amused  smile  on  her  lips. 
"Of  course,"  she  went  on,  ''this  misunderstandm.Lr 
could  not  have  occurred  if  Professor  Vail  had  been 
at  home,  for  I  would  have  had  you  meet  him  at  on<-< 
I  supposed  you  had  read  his  books  and  understood 
my  allusions." 

"I  see,"  he  assented,  ''but  what  is  this  great  dis- 


"The  discovery  itself  is  not  only  that  our  earth 
onto  had  a  system  of  Saturn-like  rings,  which,  in 
its  progressive  collapse,  became  the  chief  and  all- 
eompetent  agent  in  strata  building,  causing  all  the 
tropical  eras,  glacial  conditions,  and  legendary 
floods  the  world  ever  saw;  but  that  vast  lingering 
remnants  of  that  annular  or  ring  system  hung  in 
the  skies  of  primitive  persons,  and  for  thousands  of 
years  after  they  eame  into  beinir.  formed  the  celes 
tial  battle  fields  known  in  the  shadowy  ages,  and 


A  DISCLOSURE  373 

gave  color  to  all  ancient  legendary  thought,  and  all 
ancient  writings  whatsoever;  and  that  in  this 
thought  we  have  the  long-sought-for  Key  to  all 
ancient  mythology;  and  in  it  also,  the  source  of  all 
thought,  language  and  work,  as  I  explained  at  the 
Metaphysical  Club." 

"That  is  a  great  find,  Miss  Harding.  It's  bewil- 
deringly  so,  at  first  glance !  How  does  it  bear  so 
vitally — you  said  it  did — on  our  work  for  a  balanced 
land  tenure?" 

"It  does  away  forever  with  the  horrible  'struggle 
for  existence'  theory,  and  proves  that  Darwinian 
evolution — the  slow  development  of  persons  from 
animals,  and  the  belief  that  progress  comes  thru 
crime  and  war  and  slavery :  all  the  horrors  involved 
in  the  phrase  ' economic  determinism' — is  without 
foundation  in  fact.  You  know,  Mr.  Wynn,  that  not 
socialists  alone,  but  all  sorts  of  people,  now  appeal 
to  'evolution'  to  justify  all  manner  of  inequity.  The 
discovery  of  the  annular  evolution  of  the  earth — 
now  fortified  by  facts  from  every  field  of  science — 
explodes  the  whole  false  assumption,  and  all  the 
miserable,  horrible  doctrines  built  upon  it." 

"That's  a  mighty  big  thing,  and  no  mistake,"  her 
listener  interjected. 

"Just  think  of  the  importance  of  this  knowl 
edge,"  Glen  Harding  went  on,  "in  the  light  it  throws 
on  the  possibility  of  immediate  and  rapid  progress. 
You  see,  Mr.  Wynn,  it  is  thru  the  misreading  of  the 
records  that  justification  for  all  the  inequities  of  the 
past  and  present  is  found  and  relied  upon,  and  the 
power  of  suggestion  is  used  to  perpetuate  them. 


.;:i  TIII-:  sou,  OP  TIII:  WORLD 

Annular  evolution  proves  that  justification  to  he 
impossible,  and  does  it  in  a  way  that  opens  wide 
the  door  to  the  immediate,  total,  and  unconditional 
abolition  of  inequity.  In  the  study  of  annular  BVO- 
Intion  alone  is  to  be  found  the  correct  and  rational 
interpretation  of  all  ancient  records,  and  a  conse 
quently  correct  conception  of  the  origin  of  human 
institutions.  The  true  conception  makes  it  easy  to 
how  equal  1'n-rdom  ean  he  quickly  and  peace 
fully  attained,  in  our  own  time;  and  this  makes  it 
a  source  of  hope  and  enthusiasm,  and  we  can  so 
use  it.  Mr.  Wynn,  to  inspire  this  generation  to  \vork 
for  a  balanced  land  tenure — for  true  freedom  here 
and  now  !" 

"That's  great  news.  Miss  I  larding.  I'll  study  up 
nu  this  subject  at  once.  Everywhere  1  have  gone, 
that  nightmare  of  Darwinian  evolution  has  con 
fronted  me,  and  if  this  annular  evolution  really  does 
take  the  foundation  from  under  that  doctrine,  it 
will  be  an  important  aid  in  the  work  of  securing  a 
balanced  land  tenure." 

"There  is  not  a  doubt  of  it."  was  the  quick  re 
sponse.  "Then.-  is  not  a  weak  link  in  the  whole 
chain  of  evidence.  Indeed.  1  have  been  almost  sur 
prised,  at  times,  to  see  how  the  latest  scientific  dis 
coveries — in  widely  scattered  fields  of  research  and 
experiment — all  unite  in  strengthening  the  claims 
for  the  truth  of  annular  evolution." 

"There  is  one  question  in  which  I  have  long  been 
interested,"  said  Ernest  Wynn.  thoughtfully.  "  Does 
annular  evolution  throw  any  light  on  the  oriirin  of 
human  beings?  'Does  it  explain  that?" 


A  DISCLOSURE  375 

''Yes,"  was  the  eager  answer.  "I  was  helping 
work  out  that  very  subject  just  before  Professor 
Vail  went  off  on  this  long  trip — he  is  locating  oil 
wells — and  it  interested  me  very  much.  We  made 
(Tut  that  in  the  process  of  earth  evolution  from  a 
molten  globe,  life  made  its  first  appearance  in  the 
equatorial  ring  which  was  formed  by  the  matter  that 
was  thrown  aloft  before  the  cooling  process  stopped 
the  vaporizing  one.  As  that  ring  cooled  and  its 
contents  arranged  themselves  into  lesser  rings, 
according  to  their  atomic  weight,  with  the  heaviest 
and  least  vaporizable  materials  nearest  the  earth's 
core,  the  rings  which  were  protected  by  their  posi 
tion,  from  both  the  extreme  cold  of  interstellar 
space  and  the  extreme  heat  of  the  central  molten 
mass,  passed  thru  stages  exactly  suited  to  the  evo 
lution  of  all  forms  of  life  that  could  exist  on  earth. 
Each  ring,  formed  out  of  the  primary  ring,  contained 
different  proportions  of  the  material  elements  enter 
ing  into  the  life  and  environment  of  the  organic 
forms  in  it.  The  outside  rings  formed  first,  and 
were  composed  of  the  most  sensitive  substances — 
those  having  the  lightest  atomic  weight;  the  inside 
rings  formed  last,  and  were  composed  of  the  least 
sensitive  substances — those  having  the  greatest 
atomic  weight.  The  differences  of  chemical  con 
tents,  weight  and  density,  position  and  temperature, 
and  so  on,  limited  the  germs  contained  in  each  ring 
to  different  possibilities  from  every  other  ring. 
These  conditions  were  most  favorable  to  high  and 
varied  development  in  the  outermost  rings  which 


Tin:  9OUL  oi-'  TIM-:  W«>KU> 

contained    litV    !_•<  mis.    mid    leaM     favorable    in    the 
innermost.      You  follow  me,   Mr.    \Y\nn.'" 

Krnest  \Yynn  liad  listened  intently,  feeling  that 
in-  was  getting  hold  of  a  new  idea,  and  his  reply  wns 
prompt:  "Yes,  life  originated  at  some  stage  m 
that  vapor  in;i>s.  and  tin-  life  irerms  separated  as  the 
rings  did.  Of  course  tlie  innermost  rings  would 
have  to  eonie  down  lirst  and  would  contain  the  sim 
plest  forms  of  life.  That  right  .'" 

"Kxaelly!"  (ilcn  Harding  looked  pleased  at  his 
evidently  real  interest,  and  e<»ntinued:  "As  the 
earth  and  its  rings  cooled,  gravity  brought  the  rings 
do\\  n  until  the  innermost  one  met  the  atmospheric 
resistance;  there  it  was  spread  out  by  the  combined 
action  of  centripetal  and  centrifugal  forces  until  its 
•  •dires  reached  the  latitudes  north  and  south  where 
the  latter  force  was  insufficient  to  hold  it  away  from 
the  earth.  This  made  a  canopy  of  the  ring,  with 
polar  openings.  The  constant  motion  of  the  canopy 
causal  it  to  fall  chiefly  about  the  arctic  and  ant- 
arctic  rirrh-s.  in  sections,  from  time  to  time,  with 
rythmic  regularity.  Kach  section  brought  down  its 
contents  chiefly  in  the  form  of  snow.  As  soon  as 
i he  condition  of  the  central  mass  became  suitable  to 
the  existence  of  life,  the  germs  which  came  down  in 
each  section  of  a  ring  were  washed  equal orward 
when  the  further  spread  of  the  canopy  restored  hot 
house  conditions,  and  suddenly  melted  the  snow 
contain'mLf  them.  During  this  hot-house  condition 
whie'.i  a  siin-concealin<_:  vapor  \vorld-ro..f  necessarily 
made  the  LT.'i-ms  di'Vi-lop»'d  until  the  fall  of  another 
section  so  radically  changed  their  environment,  by 


A  DISCLOSURE  377 

changing  the  proportions  of  chemical,  thermal, 
humid,  and  light  constituents  of  their  environment, 
as  to  mature  and  fix  their  possibilities,  and " 

"Hold  on  a  minute,  please,  till  I  get  that  last  into 
my  mind!  You  mean  that  the  characteristics  of 
each  form  of  life  were  fixed  in  an  environment  that 
brought  them  to  their  highest  point  and  was  then 
destroyed  by  another  wrecked  ring?  It  looks  as  tho 
that  might  account  for  the  *  origin  of  species'?" 

"That  is  precisely  what  it  does.  It  explains  why 
all  living  things  are  so  alike,  and  yet  so  different. 
They  started  out  alike  in  the  vapory  mass,  but  de 
veloped  to  different  points  in  an  ascending  scale 
according  to  the  position  of  the  ring  in  which  they 
were  contained.  You  understand  that  the  earth 
grew  larger,  more  nearly  complete,  with  each  fall 
of  canopy  matter,  so  it  was  gradually  growing  to 
ward  the  world  we  know." 

"I  think  I  catch  the  idea,  and  I  can  see  how  the 
fall  of  such  a  succession  of  rings  would  make 
orderly  strata — I've  studied  geology  enough,  Miss 
Harding,  to  be  glad  to  get  a  solution  of  its  prob 
lems.  But  how  about  human  life?" 

"Human  germs  were  the  last  to  fall.  As  the 
lightest  vapors  were  the  furthest  from  the  central 
mass,  you  can  see  why  every  section  of  a  ring,  and 
every  ring  that  fell,  was  followed  by  a  thinner  vapor 
roof,  until  the  last  section  of  the  last  one  fell.  The 
last  germs  to  fall,  which  developed,  were  the  human. 
They  were  the  first  to  form;  made  of  the  most  sen 
sitive  materials;  were  longest  in  the  incubating 
environment  of  ring  evolution;  and  reached  a 


378  Tin:  SOUL  OK  Tin-:  WORLD 

inatmvr  earth,  and  finished  their  development  under 
thinner  canopies,  which  let  iii  more  light — more  sun 
energy — than  any  other.  The  motion  of  the  aqueous 

vapor.  r.-volving  around  the  earth  several  times  a 
day.  concentrated  the  energies  of  heat,  light  and 
motion  in  etheric  waves,  with  rythmic  regularity, 
upon  the  oi'Lj-anic  lit'e  on  the  i-arth.  In  rctl«-x 
response  to  this  tin1  sensitive  protoplasm  reacted, 
ami  the  repeated  movements  became  fixed  habits 
of  action.  As  what  we  call  light  and  sound  are  hut 
different  velocities  of  matter  in  motion,  every 
motion  has  its  necessary  corresponding  sound— 
whether  our  ears  are  attuned  to  hear  it  or  not. 
Hence,  the  same  vibrations  which  educed  human 
actions  evolved  human  speech." 

"If  that  is  the  way  it  was  done  with  people."  put 
in  Krnest  Wynn.  "then  other  vibrations  must  have 
caused  other  living  forms  to  move  and  mak*- 
sounds?" 

"Certainly,  and  that  habitual  reflex  action  is 
what  we  know  as  unconscious  imitation  you  under 
stand  that.  .Mr.  Wynn.  and  now  you  can  s «- 

actly  how  it  originated.  Kvery  living  thing  formed 
its  habits  in  that  way.  It  was  thus  thai  nature 
tauirht  all  organisms  their  modes  of  action  formed 
their  '  instincts'." 

Ernest  Wynn  looked  thoroly  interested.  "That's 
,i  ..rival  ci.neeption."  he  exclaimed,  "and  1  want  to 
iret  the  dill'erent  points  clear.  Did  you  mean  to  say. 
just  now.  that  language  was  the  direct  result  of 
vibrations  of  matter  revolving  around  the  earth?" 

"Kxactly.    .Mr.     Wynn.       In    imitating    the    move- 


A  DISCLOSURE  379 

ments  of  the  canopy  world — as  I  described  it  at  the 
Metaphysical  Club,  you  remember  —  humanity 
learned  to  think,  to  do,  to  speak.  The  sounds  they 
made  were  the  necessary  result  of  the  vibrations 
that  evolved  them,  and  they  are  the  roots  of  all 
words,  and  are  perfectly  intelligible  when  recog 
nized  as  expressions  of  canopy  movements." 

"You  mean  that  the  vibrations  caused  by  the 
swiftly  revolving  watery  vapors  set  up  correspond 
ing  vibrations  in  persons  on  earth,  and  these  pro 
duced  certain  acts?" 

"That's  it,  precisely,  Mr!  Wynn.  You  think 
quickly!  Many  scholars  have  almost  found  the 
truth ;  as  when  John  0  'Neill  said  of  the  ancients, 
that  'by  turning  objects  of  various  kinds  the  move 
ment  of  the  heavens  is  imitated,  these  are  outbursts 
of  a  once  powerful  instinct,  of  an  imitative  impulse 
wyhich  must  once  have  swayed  mankind  with  irre 
sistible  might  at  a  certain  stage  of  existence.'  Or 
when  Max  Muller  said:  'The  concept  of  order  and 
law'  was  'at  first  no  more  than  an  impulse,'  but  the 
'impulsive  force'  of  which  'would  not  rest  until  it 
had  beaten  into  the  minds'  of  our  ancestors  'the 
deep  and  indellible  impression'  which  is  'more  than 
a  hope'  'in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  that  which  is 
right.'  Just  see  how  near  they  came  to  the  truth. 
Mr.  Wynn,  with  their  turning  and  beating !  If  they 
could  only  have  known  the  turning  of  the  vast  vor 
tex  in  the  northern  heavens,  and  the  constant  beat 
ing  of  the  vibrations  upon  the  sensitive  matter  of 
growing  human  brains!  You  can  see  how  it  came 
about  that  when  human  beings  reached  the  stage  of 


Till:  son,   <>r  Till-    WuRI.h 

Consciousness,  they  found  themselves  habitually 
tiding  ninny  things.  Only  very  slowly  did  they  begin 
to  analyze  their  actions  and  seek  the  explanation. 
Am  I  making  it  clear?" 

"It's  wonderful!"  ejaculated  her  listener.  "Yet 
it  seems  plain,  as  you  state  it.  I  must  study  int  • 
this  subject  at  once,"  and  Ernest  Wynn  looked 
bright-eyed  and  eager.  "It  may  help  in  under 
standing  how  inequitable  conditions  were  til's! 
started,  and  that  would  have  a  direct  bearing  on 
our  work  now." 

"It  does  show  that  very  thing!  \Yhcn  \<m  come 
to  understand  it  fully — as  much  as  any  one  person 
can  find  a  chance  to  learn — you  will  sec  how  it  is 
mixed  up  with  everything  we  do  and  think.  The 
differences  in  the  make-up  of  the  riniis.  and  the  eori- 
se<|uent  conditions  which  followed,  limited  the  possi 
bilities  of  all  other  organisms  which  formed  after 
the  human  germs  were  separated,  in  that  early  r'mg- 
s(  Lrregating  process,  so  that  human  beings  are  the 
only  ones  on  earth  which  have  evolved  the  power 
to  ignore  nature's  orderly  trend.  All  others  con 
form  automatically  to  their  environment.  Instead, 
human  brings  have  the  power  to  disregard  theirs. 
But,  fortunately,  the  consequences  of  non-conform 
ity  to  nature's  modes  are  just  as  inexorable,  whether 
the  result  of  conscious  or  unconscious  action.  And. 
aUo  fortunately,  human  beings  have,  along  with  the 
power  to  ignore,  the  power  to  analyze  .ind  under 
stand  nature's  processes,  so  that  they  can  resume 
c.mfiirmily  to  nature's  modes  whenever  they  choose 

you   gee,   Mr.  Wynn.   how   you    readied  that  same 


A  DTSCLOSUKE  381 

truth  in  your  discovery,  tho  coming  at  it  from 
another  direction  entirely." 

"It's  grand!  Miss  Harding.  It  is  that  power  to 
choose — to  regard  or  disregard  nature's  orderly 
trend,  that  £'ives  to  persons  what  is  called  free  will 
—the  subject  that  seems  to  trouble  our  monist 
friends  so  much.  I  must  follow  out  that  idea  " 

"I  had  not  thought  of  it  that  way,  but  T  do 
believe  you  are  right,  Mr.  Wynn.  There  seems  to 
be  no  end  to  the  mysteries  we  can  solve,  with  the 
clue  to  the  labyrinth  in  our  hands.  But  I  wanted 
to  say  that  this  power  of  rational  action  makes  it 
possible  for  humanity  to  put  between  itself  and  all 
other  organisms  a  gulf  that  is  absolutely  impassable 
by  any  other  being.  We  are  today  but  at  the  thresh 
old  of  human  possibilities — a  just-matured  type  of 
life,  on  a  just  finished  world,  with  our  powers,  and 
their  capacities,  all  waiting  the  proper  use  of  reason 
in  laying  the  right  kind  of  a  foundation.  "Whether 
those  possibilities  shall  be  sounded  to  the  depths  of 
destruction,  as  civilized  people  seem  to  be  trying  to 
urge  them  today,  Mr.  Wynn,  or  utilized  to  the  high 
est  development,  depends  on  whether  we  can  speed 
ily  get  people  to  use  their  reason  and  establish  a 
balanced  land  tenure.  You  see  it  comes  back  to  that 
one  point  every  way  we  turn!"  She  smiled,  but 
there  was  a  wistfulness  in  her  eyes  that  did  not 
escape  Ernest  Wynn. 

"We  will  do  it,  Miss  Harding,"  and  there  was 
such  a  ring  of  determination  in  Ernest  Wynn's 
•voice  as  promised  success.  "With  Mr.  Dennison 
and  Jack  Romaine  to  ensure  the  finances  needed  to 


*g|  THI:  BOOT  01  TIIK  WOULD 

sl;irt  it.  we  will  soon  get  the  propaganda  under 
way.  Von  will  help  me  to  understand  this  discovery 
nl'  Professor  V Jill's  as  speedily  as  possible,  won't 
yottt  I'll  study  hard.  If  there  is  anything  useful 
in  Tremont's  book,  I'll  dig  it  out,  too.  I've  thought 
a  good  deal  about  the  power  of  thought  force,  and 
sciidin.LT  mil  the  right  sort  of  vibrations.  You  under 
stand  all  that.  .Miss  Hardinir.  and  can  help  me  com 
prehend  it  more  quickly." 

"I'll  help  you  all  I  can,  .Mr.  \\ynn.  And  that 
reminds  me  of  an  encouraging  bit  I  found  lately, 
in  reading  about  Professor  Loeb's  experiments.  He 
says:  ' ( )l (starvations  on  the  lower  animals  show 
that  the  co-ordination  of  automatic  movements  is 
caused  by  the  fact  that  that  element  which  beats 
most  rapidly  forces  the  others  to  beat  in  its  own 
rythm.'  He  also  says  that  'the  functional  changes 
in  the  embryo  itself  are  sudden,  and  not  gradual 
or  continuous.  The  heart  beat,  for  example,  starts 
at  a  certain  time,  suddenly,  after  a  certain  stage  of 
development  has  been  reached.  The  idea  of  a 
steady,  continuous  development,  is  inconsistent  with 
the  general  physical  qualities  of  protoplasm  and  col 
loidal  matter'." 

"Ilow  is  that  encouraging?  I  don't  quite  catch 
its  connection  with  our  work  for  equal  freedom." 

"Don't  you  see,  Mr.  Wynn,"  she  answered, 
eagerly,  "that  the  mind,  bring  highly  sensitive,  can 
change  suddenly  and  begin  thinking  and  growing 
in  the  new  direction  given  to  it  thru  the  compelling 
power  of  the  more  rapid  rythm  of  a  forceful,  burn- 
in  «j  enthusiavm.  when  that  is  turned  loose  on  the 


A  DISCLOSURE  383 

sluggish  inertia  of  minds  under  the  sway  of  inequity 
— yet,  holding  within  them  the  instinct  toward  true 
freedom,  the  ansAvering  sensitive  disc." 

"It's  a  fine  idea,  Miss  Harding!  Once  we  get 
that  printing  plant  going,  we  will  send  out  vibra 
tions  at  such  a  lively  rate  as  to  speedily  stir  up  a 
lot  of  those  sleeping  minds  into  activity,  and  they 
will  stir  up  others.  In  the  meantime  I  must  study 
up  on  annular  evolution.  You  will  tell  me  how  to 
go  about  it,  so  I  can  get  the  gist  of  it  as  quick  as 
possible?" 

"Most  gladly,  Mr.  Wynn.  It  is  a  most  marvel- 

ously  fascinating  study.  I  wish "  she  broke  off, 

smiling.  "You  will  learn  for  yourself,  and  see  the 
wonders  of  it." 

"You  are  as  enthusiastic  on  this  subject  of  annu 
lar  evolution  as  you  are  on  sociology,  Miss  Hard 
ing." 

"Yes,"  she  admitted;  then  added,  impulsively: 
"I'll  confess  to  you,  Mr.  Wynn,  that  if  I  did  not  so 
strongly  realize  the  need  of  equal  freedom;  if  I 
did  not  feel  in  every  fiber  of  my  being  the  suffering 
which  inequitable  conditions  daily  forces  upon 
women  and  children,  I  would  be  devoting  my  life 
and  energy  to  the  study  of  annular  evolution — with 
all  the  wonders  it  reveals  as  one  penetrates  at  last 
into  the  deepest  mysteries  of  the  past  of  humanity, 
with  a  key  that  unlocks  every  door,  even  into  the 
most  hidden  nooks  and  corners.  But  I  fully  realize 
that  the  most  important  thing  in  the  world  today— 
for  every  human  being — is  to  secure  a  balanced  land 
tenure  as  speedily  as  possible.  When  that  is  done 


384  T1IK  SOUL  or  THK   WOULD 

we  <-an  go  on — as  there  is  n<>  chance  for  any  of  us 
In  do  now-  and  Irani  all  that  we  arc,  or  can  make 
ourselves,  capable  of  knowing  of  nature  and  its 
wonders." 

"1  understand.   .Miss  Harding.     We  cannot  be  our 

real     >''l\rs.    tile    l>est     We    even     now    know    h«»\V    to    IH-. 

until  we  an-  truly  free.  I  will  read  up  on  annular 
evolution  at  once.  Are  1'rot'cssor  Vail's  books  in 
the  Library?" 

"Yes.  sonic  of  them,  but  I  will  lend  you  the  set 
I  have,  with  sonic  notes  on  them.  When  lie  comes 
home  you  will  want  to  talk  with  1'rofcssor  Vail  hini- 
Self,  He  has  lots  of  important  material  yet  in  manu- 
Beript,  and  is  continually  adding  to  it." 

A  great  light  had  dawned  on  Ernest  \Vynn 's 
mind.  "Then  this  is  the  source  of  your  positive 
knowledge  of  the  past,  that  lias  pu/./led  me  so?" 
There  was  a  sense  of  relief  in  his  tone. 

"Certainly,"  and  Glen  Harding  smiled  brightly 
"I  can  say,  with  Eliphax  Levi  Xahad.  "Hut  when 
a  thing  has  been  clearly  proved  and  made  compre 
hensible  to  you,  yon  will  no  longer  believe  it — yon 
will  know  it.'  I  had  always  been  interested  in  geol 
ogy,  and  thru  talkiiiLT  about  that  to  a  friend.  1  first 
heard  of  Professor  Yail's  Story  of  the  I\ocks.  She 
loaned  me  the  book,  and  I  had  read  only  a  few 
chapters  when  1  found  that  it  held  the  key  not  only 
to  geological  pu/./les,  hut  also  threw  a  brilliant 
light  on  all  mythology,  all  religions,  all  historic  and 
prehistoric  problems  and  mysteries  that  dealt  with 
ancient  beliefs.  I  put  in  every  moment  I  could  on 
tin-  study — until  you  Ofttne,  Mr.  \V\iin,  and  brought 


A  DISCLOSURE  385 

me  back  to  active  propaganda  work.  But  now  that 
we  clearly  understand  the  natural  law  underlying 
a  perfect  land  tenure,  the  two  discoveries  can  go 
forward  together.  The  knowledge  of  annular  evo 
lution  will  help  us  in  a  hundred  ways  in  our  work 
for  a  balanced  land  tenure.  I  will  get  the  books," 
she  rose  as  she  spoke,  ' '  and  show  you  where  to  start 
in  to  get  the  gist  of  the  thought  as  quick  as  you 


CHAPTER  19. 

GLKN    HAKDINC'S   FAITH. 

"Von  have  done  your  hair  beautifully,  Glen! 
Sit  hen-  in  front  of  the  glass  while  I  put  on  the  rib 
bon  bands  and  ornaments.  That's  right!  When  I 
get  these  done,  and  the  shoulder  brooch  fastened 
in.  you  will  look  exactly  like  that  picture  of  a  Greek 
goddess."  and  Mrs.  Deimisou  stopped  in  the  process 
of  ad.justini:  a  ribbon,  to  study  a  full-page  picture, 
in  a  1,-irge  book  thai  was  propped  up  on  a  light  stand 
beside  the  mirror. 

"I  see  now  how  it  goes,"  she  continued,  resuming 
her  work  with  quirk,  deft  lingers.  "You'll  look 
lovely,  Glen.  I  wonder  what  Mr.  Motora  will  think 
of  yon.'' 

"I  wonder  what  I  will  think  of  myself  when  you 
get  thru  with  me.  What  in  the  world  possessed  you 
to  try  1o  make  a  goddess  out  of  your  gardener. 
Birdie  .'  It 's  our  of  the  last  characters  I  should  have 
imairined  yon  thinking  of." 

"I  think  of  lots  more  thinirs  than  yon  give  mo 
credit  for,  (ilen.  As  f..r  this  eustumr;  you  have 
lived  in  the  mythical  past  so  niurh  this  last  year 
that  1  thought  yon  would  feel  entirely  at  home 
among  the  gods  and  goddesses,"  her  sister  said,  half 
laughing,  half  in  earnest.  "When  I  went  to  Mrs 
M'.riran  to  ask  her  to  help  select  the  exact  character 
and  costume — so  it  would  be  sure  to  be  just  right— 


GLEN  HARDING 'S  FAITH  387 

she  said  a  really  ancient  Greek  goddess  would  be 
thoroly  suitable.  As  for  your  being  a  gardener,  that 
fits  the  character  nicely,  for  Mrs.  Morgan  happened 
to  mention  that  the  more  ancient  gods  and  goddesses 
were  always  working  at  something  or  other — and 
lots  of  them  busied  about  plants  and  making  crops 
grow.  There,  now  you  are  finished,"  she  fastened 
a  brooch  on  her  sister's  shoulder  as  she  spoke.  "Are 
not  these  gold  and  jeweled  ornaments  queer  look 
ing,  ancient  things?" 

Glen  Harding  looked  at  the  reflection  in  the 
mirror.  "Yes,  very  quaint,"  she  said,  then  bent  for 
ward,  looking  closer.  "I  do  believe,  Birdie,  these 
are  some  of  Mrs.  Morgan's  treasures.  How  could 
you--" 

"I  didn't!"  her  sister  interrupted  delightedly. 
"I  told  her  you  would  be  sure  to  recognize  them  the 
first  thing — and  it  will  please  her  to  know  you  did. 
I  never  dreamed  of  her  lending  anything  from  her 
collections,  she  prizes  and  guards  them  so,  they  are 
so  rare.  Now  stand  up  and  .look  at  yourself,"  and 
Mrs.  Dennison  stepped  back  the  better  to  survey 
the  results  of  her  work,  as  her  sister  stood  before 
the  long  glass.  "You  look  perfectly  lovely,  Glen, 
that  Greek  style  just  suits  you." 

Glen  Harding  laughed  contentedly.  "Really,  Bir 
die,  I  begin  to  think  that  anything  you  plan  for  me 
will  be  entirely  satisfactory.  The  ornaments  make 
me  feel  that  it  is  more  real,  too,  someway.  How  did 
Mrs.  Morgan  come  to  lend  them,  Birdie?" 

"When  we  were  planning  the  costume,  I  asked 
her  to  help  me  find  something  suitable  in  the  way 


388  Tin-:  son,  or  THI-:  \V<>I;LD 


.•f  ornaments  to  go  Wltn  it-  ^m>  1"'(1  m<>  t()  <Mlin  ' 
with  her,  and  took  me  right  down  into  their  base- 
ment  —  you  know  it's  her  museum  now  —  and  went 
straight  to  these  and  said  I  could  «-ount  on  havin  r 
them.  llic  brooch  and  all  these  ornaments,  for  tin- 
occasion.  I  protested  against  taking  them,  and  sai  •' 
I  could  have  something  made  or  adapted  that  would 
do.  What  do  you  suppose  she  said,  Glen?" 

"I  cann«»t  imagine:  I  know  these  arc  among  her 
special  treasures,  for  she  told  me  so  once  when  we 
were  going  thru  her  museum  together." 

"She  said  there  was  not  a  grain  of  sham  or  pre 
tense  about  yon,  Glen,  and  you  must  have  genuine 
ancient  Greek  ornaments,  tho  she  would  not  even 
think  of  lending  them  to  anyone  else.  She  sent 
them  to  me  today,  and  we  can  give  them  back  to 
her  right  after  the  party  tonight," 

"I  must  thank  her  especially  for  that,  by  trying 
to  live  the  eharaeter.  They  will  all  be  at  th" 

party  t" 

"Yes.  she  said  they  would  not  miss  it  Tor  any 
thing.  They  were  at  the  tii-st  fancy  dress  party 
.Mrs.  Romaine  had  for  Jack,  when  he  was  six.  and 
b  .Morgan  only  three  years  old.  The  children 
were  all  fairies  and  elves.  The  party  has  been  a 
yearly  institution  ever  since,  tho  it  is  not  very  con 
venient  that  Jack's  birthday  conies  in  August.  Thc\ 
have  the  party  here,  or  wherever  they  may  he  for 
the  summer.  Hut  Jack  lold  me  yesterday  that  this 
was  to  be  his  last  'birthday  party-  and  that  he 
intended  to  ouit  'make  believe.'  and  live  in  down 
riirht  earnest,  So  this  is  the  last  ..f  the  'Komaine 


GLEN  HARDING 'S  FAITH  389 

costume  parties'  and  everybody  will  be  there.  We 
are  always  sure  of  a  good  time  when  Mrs.  Romaine 
is  hostess,  and  you  will  look  as  well  as  anyone 
there." 

Glen  Harding 's  face  expressed  wholehearted  en 
joyment  as  she  looked  again  at  the  figure  reflected 
in  the  glass.  "I  knew  you  would  fix  me  up  all 
right,  Birdie,  but  I  never  thought  of  anything  so 
fine  as  this,"  and  she  glanced  down  at  the  robe  of 
richly  soft  material,  which  fell  in  graceful  folds 
about  her,  the  narrow  colored  borders  outlining  the 
long  points  of  the  upper  garment.  Then  she  studied 
the  ornaments.  Who  had  worn  them?  How  long 
had  they  been  buried?  She  turned  to  her  sister, 
exclaiming,  "I  like  it  so  much  better  than  any 
modern  thing  you  could  have  thought  of  for  me. 
Birdie.  Why  are  you  so  good  to  me?" 

"Oh,  I  enjoy  the  selecting  and  planning,  and  then 
you  always  appreciate  things  so,  Glen.  It  doubles 
the  pleasure  of  doing  them.  Did  Mr.  Motora — he 
told  me  not  to  call  him  Count  yet  a  while — tell  you 
he  was  going  to  wear  a  court  costume  of  old  Japan  ? 
Something  gorgeous,  no  doubt." 

"No,  but  he  can  afford  it.  Seriously,  Birdie,  it 
does  not  seem  right  to  let  you  spend  so  much  on  a 
gown  for  me — to  wear  just  once — tho  }rou  know  I 
thank  you  just  the  same." 

"It's  not  for  only  this  once.  You  can  wear  it 
with  other  ornaments  to  lecture  to  that  Metaphys 
ical  Club,  or,  if  you  don't  like  that,  and  want  it 
changed,  why,  the  material  is  hardly  cut  at  all— 
they  must  have  been  sensible  people  in  some  ways 


390  TIM:  soi- 1.  OF  TIIK  WORLD 

when   that    was  the   fashion     and   it   will   make  over 
into    a   beautiful    modern    gown." 

Her  sister  laughed.  "You  are  sensible,  anyway. 
and  that  may  be  a  good  idea  about  the  Metaphys 
ical  Club.  It  will  give  emphasis  to  s,.m<'  things  I 
have  to  say  to  them.  I  almost  wish.  Birdie- 

She  was  interrupted  by  a  light  knock  at  the  door, 
and  in  response  to  Mrs.  Dennison's  "Come  in."  a 
maid  appeared  bearing  a  card.  "For  Miss  Hard 
ing,"  she  said. 

Glen  Harding  took  th«-  <-ard.  and  a  shade  of  p.-r- 
plexity  crossed  II«T  faee,  followed  by  a  little  smile 
M  she  said.  "1  will  be  down  in  a  few  minutes," 
and  the  maid  disappeared.  "It's  Mr.  Tmii-mt. 
Birdie,  and  I'll  have  to  dress  up  again!" 

"No,  indeed."  exclaimed  her  sister,  glancing  at 
the  clock.  '.'There  isn't  time.  Go  just  as  you  are, 
Glen.  He  will  never  think  of  proposing  to  such  •> 
divine  personage  as  a  (JreeU  goddess."  she  added, 
wickedly. 

"I  believe  1  will."  she  said,  with  sudden  decision. 
"It's  time  he  understood,  and  the  costume  may  help 
me  out.  You  are  sure  it's  all  right,  Birdie?" 

"Of  course  it  is.  and  you  look  lovelier  than  I 
ever  saw  yon  before.  Do  go  right  along,  (lien: 
there's  a  dear,  I'll  come  down  and  help  you  as 
soon  as  I  am  dressed.  Mr-.  Pent  will  help  Marie 
get  me  up .  " 

Arthur  Tremoni.  wailing  below  in  the  long,  cool 
drawing  room,  was  thinking  seriously  as  he  stood 
beside  a  window  commanding  a  wide  view  of  the 
«j;irden  sometimes  llie  jjardcner  was  busy  there  in 


GLEN  HARDING  'S  FAITH  391 

the  afternoon.  However,  he  looked  in  vain.  All 
was  quiet,  and  the  garden  untenanted,  save  for  the 
birds  and  bees.  He  was  thinking,  with  conscious 
earnestness,  how  best  to  present  what  he  had  come 
to  say.  He  felt  a  strong  confidence  in  himself  and 
in  the  power  of  his  overmastering  desire.  He  felt 
that  his  will  power,  in  this  matter,  at  least,  was 
well  under  control.  Why  should  Glen  Harding 
attract  him  if  she  was  not  for  him?  What  if  she 
was  interested  in  sociology  to  an  extent  that  he  did 
not  care  to  follow?  That  was  only  a  passing  phase, 
due  largely  to  her  present  environment.  Once  his 
wife,  and  all  that  would  sink  to  its  natural  level. 
Her  mind  would  then  rise  and  occupy,  more  and 
more,  the  high  plane  on  which  she  had  already 
shown  herself  to  be  thoroly  at  home.  As  his  Avife 
she  would  be  a\  power  in  his  work,  pleasantly  dom 
inated  by  his  masculine  will.  How  glorious  she 
could  be !  To  possess  such  a  treasure  was  worth 
putting  forth  his  best  efforts.  He  must  win  her. 
Of  course  he  could  win  her,  and  that  speedily.  All 
that  he  needed  was  this  chance  to  see  her  alone,  so 
that  he  could  talk  freely.  He  smiled  to  himself, 
as  he  said,  half  aloud,  "I  can  and  I  will." 

"You  are  in  a  resolute  mood  this  afternoon,  Mr. 
Tremont." 

He  turned  quickly,  and  for  an  instant  stood 
amazed.  Instead  of  the  simply  dressed,  gray-eyed 
American  woman  he  had  come  to  see,  there  stood 
before  him  a  lady  with  darkening  eyes,  in  the  robes 
and  ornaments  of  an  older  time,  and  there  was  a 
subtle  something  about  her  attitude  and  expression 


TIII-:  BOUL  OP  TIM:  WOULD 

• 

\\hirli    seemed    In    make    her    n    part    of   1  lie    time    1<> 

whieh  the  eostnme  belonged.  \Vliat  was  it.'  lie 
felt  that  lie  had  seen  her  before,  BOmewheflt;  even 
the  ornaments  seemed  1'amili;:!-  luit  where  was  it  .' 
Then  there  flashed  thru  his  mind  the  memory  of  a 
full-page  picture  he  had  once  seen  of  a  certain 
Greek  goddess.  It  was  in  that  very  room.  Y<  -. 
that  was  it. 

Tin-  hint  <>!'  a  smile  about  the  lips  <•!'  the  Greek 
goddess,  as  she  notieed  iiis  bewilderment,  brought 
him  back  to  the  twentieth  eenliiry.  A.  1)..  and  he 
said  earnestly : — 

"It  is  woll  always  to  he  resolute  when  in  ill- 
presence  of  one  who  inspires  the  best  that  I  e,-m 
give.  But  perhaps  I  am  intruding  this  afternoon.'" 

"Not  now.  I  have  an  engagement  that  will  take 
me  i. ut  with  my  sister  at  four,  but  it  is  early  yet." 
She  seated  herself  and  motioned  her  guest  to  a 
nearby  chair.  "1  was  wishing  this  morning."  she 
said,  that  1  could  talk  \\ith  yon  about  a  bit  of 
truth  I  have  round  that  is  of  some  importance  to 
our  work." 

"Anything  that  lends  to  strengthen  ..r  widen  the 
influence  of  our  work"  his  listener  did  not  fail 
to  catch  his  emphasis  on  the  word  "our"  "must 
be  worth  while.  |Jut,  Miss  Harding."  he  hurried 
on,  "I  came  this  at'term.ou  especially  to  tell  you 
some  things  of  the  greatest  personal  concern  ln  '"> 
self,  to  both  of  us  1  trust,  1  believ 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  ardor  in  his  imie.  nor 
the  passionate  irlow  ill  his  eyes,  and  (lien  Ilardin.u 


GLEN  HARDING 'S  FAITH.  393 

was  neither  deaf  nor  blind,  yet  the  softly  musical 
voice  of  the  dark-eyed  Greek  goddess  replied : — 

"  Indeed,  Mr.  Tremont,  I  am  sure  you  will  find 
light  in  this  bit  of  discovery  of  mine,  but  in  order 
to  understand  it  we  must  put  out  of  our  thoughts — 
at  least  for  the  moment — all  that  pertains  to  the 
little  local  self.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  realize 
the  oneness  of  all  humanity,  of  all  nature,  and  that 
we  are  merely  integral  parts  in  that  whole,  before 
we  can  understand  the  importance  of  the  several 
present-day  discoveries  that  enable  us  at  last  to  com 
prehend  the  full  meaning  and  possibilities  of  the 
truths  so  long  shrouded  in  the  occult  teachings  of 
the  Orient.  You  see,"  she  concluded,  with  the 
touch  of  a  smile  on  her  face,  "I  have  been  reading 
the  little  book  by  Edward  Carpenter  that  you  left 
with  me  last  Sunday,  and  it  has  given  me  a  new 
idea." 

"Ah,  she  reads  what  I  give  her,  and  I  don't  have 
to  read  what  she  suggests."  The  thought  passed 
thru  Arthur  Tremont 's  mind  exultantly,  and  gave 
him  added  confidence,  as  he  said  aloud:  "You  are 
one  of  the  chosen,  Miss  Harding,  one  of  the  few 
destined  to  keep  the  sacred  flame  alive  thru  our 
time." 

There  was  a  momentary  flash,  as  from  a  spark  of 
the  sacred  flame  itself,  in  the  eyes  of  the  woman 
before  him,  and  the  tensely  quiet  voice  said:  "Upon 
us,  who  know  the  truth,  rests  the  responsibility  of 
making  that  fire  of  knowledge  so  bright  that  it  will 
illumine  the  whole  world — here  and  now — and  in 
its  light  and  heat  all  the  degradation  of  riotous  lux- 


.;!'!  THE  SOUL  or  Till:    WOULD 

ury.  every  vestige  of  oppression.  «  \.  r\  -.hade  of 
vice  and  crime,  every  trace  of  suffering  and  misery, 
will  shrivel  up  and  disappear  as  (he  nioriiinir  mists 
fade  in  the  light  of  the  noonday  sun.  A  few  years 
of  earnest  work.  in  the  right  way.  and  this  earth  of 
ours  will  be  a  veritable  paradise,  filled  with  rational, 
happy  human  beings." 

"You  have  seen  a  vision  of  the  coming  day.  Miss 
Harding  1  am  sure  of  it.  Even  now  the  note  is 
sounding  and  men  here  and  there  are  listening  and 
looking  anxiously  for  the  time  when  they  can  quit 
fighting  each  other,  and  there  will  he  peace,  alike 
«'ii  battle  fields  and  in  the  market  place.  That  day 
may  seem  a  long  way  on",  but  it  will  surely  come  in 
the  fullness  of  time,  and  we  who  reali/e  this  will 
work  together  to  teach  these  truths  of  freedom  and 
brotherhood.  Is  it  not  so?"  He  moved  a  little 
nearer  Glen  Harding,  and  in  the  brown  eyes,  turned 
full  upon  her,  there  burned  a  strong  desire,  held 
steady  by  the  concentrated  force  of  an  overmaster 
ing  will. 

The  answering  glance  of  the  Greek  goddess  was 
frank  and  fearless,  and  in  her  face  there  shone  a 
power  the  strength  of  perfect  sincerity-  that  was 
wholly  lacking  in  the  trained  expression  of  the  man 

liefore    he]'. 

"Of  course,"  she  said,  "all  those  who  reali/.e  how 
easily  and  quickly  and  peacefully  we  can  win  true 
freedom  will  work  together  to  win  that  freedom— 
and  do  it  right  speedily.  Hut  are  you  quite  sure." 
and  her  tone  was  like  soft  music  in  its  grave  earnest  - 
I  "that  you  understand  exactly  what  I  am  talk- 


GLEN  HAKDING'S  FAITH  395 

ing  about?  Have  you,  too,  grasped  the  full  meaning 
of  this  passage  from  Edward  Carpenter?  Let  me 
read  it,  please."  She  had  taken  a  little  book  from 
the  stand  beside  her,  where  she  had  laid  it  on  enter 
ing  the  room,  and  quickly  found  the  place: — 

"There  must  have  existed  in  India,  or  in  some 
neighboring  region,  from  which  India  drew  its  tra 
dition,  BEFORE  ALL  HISTORY,  teachers  who  saw 
these  occult  facts  and  understood  them  probably 
better  than  the  teachers  of  historical  times,  and  who 
had  themselves  reached  a  stage  of  evolution  at  least 
equal  to  any  that  has  been  attained  since. 

"If  this  is  so,  then  there  is  reason  to  believe  that 
there  is  a  distinct  body  of  experience  and  knowledge 
into  which  the  whole  human  race  is  destined  to  rise, 
and  which  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  will  bring 
wonderful  and  added  faculties  with  it.  From  what 
ever  mere  formalities  or  husks  of  tradition  or  abnor 
mal  growths  that  have  gathered  round  it  in  India, 
this  had  to  be  disentangled;  but  it  is  not  now  to  be 
any  more  the  heritage  of  India  alone,  but  for  the 
whole  world.  If,  however,  anyone  should  seek  it 
for  the  advantage  or  glory  in  himself  of  added 
powers  and  faculties,  his  quest  will  be  in  vain,  for 
it  is  an  absolute  condition  of  attainment  that  all 
action  for  self  as  distinct  from  that  of  others  shall 
entirely  cease." 

Arthur  Tremont  held  his  impatience  well  in 
check,  but  the  instant  the  pleasant  voice  ceased 
reading,  he  took  up  the  word:  "I  know  that  time 
is  surely  coming  because  there  is  now  unfolding  in 
the  minds  of  men  a  consciousness  of  the  oneness  of 


THE  SOUL  01     I  Hi:  WORLD 

.•ill.  Sooner  or  later  we  will  be  in  a  ma.jority  and 
then  every  man  will  have  the  golden  rule  in  his 
heart  and  Christ's  mission  will  he  ;it  last  fulfilled. 
Mul.  oli.  Miss  Harding" — he  clung  to  the  plain 
Amerieaii  name  as  tho  in  hold  her  down  to  the 
moment  of  linn-  in  which  he  spoke  "that  day  is 
BO  far  nit',  and  we —you  and  I — are  living  in  the 
now.  I  want  to  tell  yon 

"That  you  have  not  <|iiitc  found  the  truths  hidden 
in  that  passage.'"  the  Greek  goddess  quietly  inter 
rupted,  with  a  trace  of  pity  in  her  tone.  "You  had 
the  same  opportunities  to  learn  them  that  I  have 
had;  the  same  sources  of  knowledge  were  open  to 
yon.  and.  for  a  moment,  I  hoped  that  you,  too,  had 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  glorious  light!" 

"I  know  there  is  light  wherever  you  are,"  he 
exclaimed,  fervently,  "and  1  want  to  live  in  that 

light!" 

The  Greek  goddess  smiled  graciously,  and  her 
voice  was  frankly  cordial:  "I  am  glad  to  share 
with  yon  -and  all  others  such  light  of  knowledge 
as  I  possess.  In  this  passage  of  Edward  Carpen 
ter's/'  and  she  glanced  at  the  little  book  she  still 
held,  "there  is  both  truth  and  error.  The  error  is 
due  t<>  ,-i  misreadinir  and  misunderstanding  of  can- 
•  •py  memorials.  This  mistake  has  made  'higher 
beings'  and  'higher  intelligences.'  and  'teachers'  in 
human  form,  out  of  ihe  physical  phenomena  insep 
arable  from  a  globe  enveloped  in  aqueous  vapor-." 

"I  don't  SOI  it  in  that  way.  .Miss  Harding.  To 
me  it  is  <|ui1c  enough  that  we  should  each  be 
obedient  to  the  divine  urge  within  us.  and  study 


GLEN  HARDING 'S  FAITH  397 

and  work  as  we  are  led  to  do.  It  is  on  that  'innate 
urge  toward  the  search  for  truth'  that  we  must 
depend,  not  on  geological  studies  or  changes  in 
political  systems,  for  hope  in  the  future — surely  you 
can  see  this?" 

"I  see  a  number  of  things,  Mr.  Tremont;  and 
among  them  is  the  fact  that  the  original  demiurgus 
— the  divine  urge — -was  the  moving  spirit  or  trend 
of  the  canopy,  and  it  was  therefore  a  most  essential 
element  in  the  natural  process  of  evolution.  People 
saw  the  divine  urge  pushing  things  along  in  the 
celestial  world,  thru  thousands  of  years.  "What  you 
call  'the  innate  urge  toward  the  search  for  truth' 
is  the  instinct  to  conform  to  natural  order  that  was 
beaten  into  the  growing  intelligence  of  humanity 
by  the  rythmic  movement — visible  to  their  eyes — 
of  the  world-roof  of  canopy  times.  This  covering  is 
spoken  of  in  the  Book  of  Isaiah,  where  it  is  written : 
'And  he  will  destroy  in  this  mountain  the  face  of 
the  covering  cast  over  all  people,  and  the  veil  that 
is  spread  over  all  nations.'  The  mountain — 

"But,  Miss  Harding,  I  want  you  to—  Arthur 

Tremont  made  a  determined  effort  to  interrupt,  but 
the  voice  of  the  Greek  goddess  went  quietly  on : — 

"I  want  you  to  understand  this  fact,  Mr.  Tre 
mont.  The  mountain  was  the  glorious  Mount  Zion, 
the  golden  Mount  Meru,  the  sacred  mountain  of  all 
peoples  north  of  the  equator;  the  vast  mountain 
seen  in  the  north  polar  sky.  The  face  was  the  great 
face-shaped  opening  which  has  given  to  all  people, 
the  world  around,  the  idea  of  a  Great  Head,  a  Divine 
Head.  The  veil  was  the  covering  of  aqueous  vapors 


398  THE  SOUL  OF  T1IK   \\OIiLD 

which  hid  the  brightness  and  wisdom  beyond  the 
canopy.  Hiimjmity  had  long  been  impressed  with 
tin-  idea  that  when  the  veil  of  ignorance  was  cast 
aside  and  the  concealed  sources  and  fountain  of 
knowledge  were  fully  opened  to  view  that  all  its 
ills  and  pains  would  disappear.  This  was  seen  to 
take,  place  in  the  celestial  world,  where  the  ills,  and 
suffering  features,  were  always  in  the  darker  and 
more  confused  aspects  of  the  canopy.  This  teaching 
was  an  age-long  work,  for  those  watery  heaven* 
•  •mild  only  pass  away  after  long  ages  of  conflict, 
between  sunlight  and  vapor,  for  the  dominion  of  the 
sky.  Those  ancient  records,  of  which  Edward  Car 
penter  speaks,  are  the  story  of  that  conflict  and  its 
ending,  as  the  last  vapors  fell  and  gave  place  to 
the  clear  heaven  we  know.  The  'teachers'  who  ex 
isted  'before  all  history'  were  scenes  and  features, 
formed  by  the  interplay  of  sunlight  and  vapor  in 
the  heavens  of  canopy  ages.  Annular  evolution  is 
the  key  to  the  correct  understanding  of  the  original 
meaning  of  all  oriental  literature  of  the  past." 

"I  don't  eare  to  discuss  that  matter,  Miss  Hard 
ing,"  said  Arthur  Tremont,  smilingly.  ''Nor  do  T 
how  it  particularly  emu-ems  us  at  this  moment." 

"But  I  do!"  There  was  a  look  in  the  now  un 
mistakably  dark  eyes  of  the  (Jreek  goddess  before 
which  the  man  <|iiailcd  inwardly,  tho  the  smooth 
calmness  of  his  facial  expression  remained  un 
changed.  He  tried  to  turn  his  eyes  away,  but  there 
was  a  power  now  in  the  eyes  of  the  woman  before 
him.  which  held  his  irlam-e  and  "-'impelled  his  atten- 
t  ion. 


GLEN  HARDING >S  FAITH  399 

"It  concerns  us  to  know,  Mr.  Tremont,  whether 
we  are  teaching  truth  or  error;  and  the  truth  is  so 
glorious  in  its  promise,  that  it  deeply  concerns 
every  one  of  us  to  learn  it  as  fast  as  we  can." 

"But  we  have  to  start  where  we  are,  Miss  Hard 
ing.  We  cannot  have  a  universal  heaven  on  earth 
in  our  time — tho  we  might  have  a  personal  one!" 

"Do  not  forget  the  condition  of  attaining  the 
goal."  The  dark  eyes  still  held  his  gaze  from  wan 
dering,  and  the  voice  he  heard  was  intensely  earnest. 
"  'All  action  for  self  as  distinct  from  others  shall 
entirely  cease.'  There  is  a  truth  hidden  in  that 
which  has  been  misunderstood,  on  the  one  hand,  by 
those  who  seek  to  identify  themselves  with  all  others 
by  leaving  those  others  and  going  away  to  live  alone 
in  woods  or  cave,  meditating;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  in  an  opposite  way,  by  those  who  think  to 
attain  the  goal  thru  that  perfect  communism  in 
which  all  products  are  brought  together,  and  all 
belongs  to  all,  and  no  particular  thing  can  belong 
to  anyone.  That  both  ideas  are  erroneous  is  proved 
by  the  impossibility  of  attaining  the  goal — the  rise 
to  greater  heights  of  knowledge  and  capacities  of 
ALL  the  people — thru  either  of  those  methods.  If 
all  tried  the  first  process  they  would  soon  starve 
off  the  face  of  the  globe.  If  all  tried  the  second 
plan  the  constant  friction  of  continual  interference 
with  each  other  would  generate  those  actions  which 
result  in  degradation — not  higher  attainment." 

"I  don't  care  about  either  of  those  ways,  Miss 
Harding." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  that,  for  then  yovi  can  the 


i">>  TIM:  BOUL  OF  TIN-:  \V<»KLI> 

more  readily  grasp  the  idea  Hint  the  oneness  of  all 
whii-li  vitally  COncerni  cadi  ODC  of  us  at  llus  unuiK'nt 
is  the  neeessity  I'm-  uniting  nur  efforts  in  the  work 
1"  secure  and  maintain  eojial  freedom  in  tin-  use  of 
the  earth.  All  persons,  without  except  ion.  must  use 
land  while  in  the  physical  body  on  this  globe,  and 
the  only  thing  necessary  to  secure  the  foundation 
on  which  to  build  to  the  highest  limits  of  human 
attainment — for  ALL — is  to  establish  a  perfect  land 
tenure — a  balanced  land  tenure— and  thus  give 
equal  opportunities  to  all.  Think  a  moment.  Mr. 
Tremont,  of  the  light  and  hope  there  is  in  the 
thought  that  only  a  very  few  \ears  of  determined 
work,  in  the  right  way,  on  the  part  of  a  few  persons, 
can  result  in  the  total  and  permanent  abolition  of 
Poverty,  with  its  attendant  degradation  of  the  rich 
and  misery  of  the  poor.  Think  of  living  in  a  world 
full  of  human  beings  who  are  unafraid.  A  world 
full  of  sincere,  friendly  people."' 

"I  don't  see  this  subject  from  <|iiite  your  view 
point,  Miss  Harding,  and  I  think  it  is  wiser  to  put 
from  our  minds  all  thought  of  the  suffering  and 
crime  around  us.  If  it  is  possible  to  practice  'the 
suppression  of  thought'  in  order  to  attain  to  a 
higher  {.lane  of  living,  surely  \\ •«•  can  make  it  help 
us  now.  also." 

The  (Jreek  goddess  smiled,  and  the  far  away  look 
that  betokened  a  mental  vision  of  a«r«-s  long  past  was 
in  her  eyes.  "Mr.  Tremont.  I  want  you  to  under 
stand  that  the  suppression  of  thought  -the  efface- 
ment  of  all  desire — in  order  to  attain  the  highest 
stage,  was  originally  an  etl'ort  to  imitate  the  expres- 


GLEN  HARDING JS  FAITH  401 

sionless  sky.  The  watery  heaven,  with  its  unceasing 
solar-vapor  phenomena,  started  imitati-ve  move 
ments  in  persons.  Nirvana,  the  place  of  extinction, 
was  a  visible  spot  in  the  north  polar  sky — all  canopy 
hosts  gathered  there.  Primitive  persons  imitated 
the  movements  of  those  on  high.  Please  understand 
me,  Mr.  Tremont,  I  am  not  saying  anything  now 
about  the  psychological  aspects  of  the  performance. 
I  am  merely  pointing  out  the  actual  physical  origin 
of  the  idea.  It  was  a  mechanical  effort  to  imitate 
certain  natural  phenomena  exhibited  in  the  heavens 
of  an  older  time.  The  records  tell  of  the  action 
of  celestial  features — not  of  terrestrial  persons.  The 
idea  of  the  suppression  of  thought,  as  necessary  to  a 
realization  of  oneness  with  the  universal  conscious 
ness — among  persons  on  our  earth — was  an  effort 
to  imitate  the  change  from  the  canopied  heavens, 
which  were  ever  the  manifestation  of  thought,  to 
the  expressionless  blue  of  the  clear  sky,  which  was 
the  total  absence  of  any  manifestation  of  thought." 

"Really,  Miss  Harding,  I  am  not  now  interested 
in  the  past,  the  present  is  too  precious  to  me,  our 
present.  Let  us  use  the  power  we  possess  to  put 
from  our  minds  all  thought  of  anything  but  the  joy 
of  living,  of  working  together.  The  things  we  can 
not  approve  we  can  at  least  ignore  and  dismiss  from 
our  minds,  and  thus  go  on  to  success  for  ourselves. 
We  must  be  optimists,  not  pessimists,  if  we  are  to 
get  any  pleasure  out  of  life." 

The  fire  of  the  sacred  flame  burned  brightly  now 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Greek  goddess,  but  she  only  said 
quietly:  "It  is  a  false  optimism  to  cry  *  peace,' 


'I'lll-'.  sou,  OK  THK   WoKLD 

•peace'  where  there  is  no  peace.  To  ignore  evil 
when  a  little  attention  given  to  its  cause  will  enable 
us  to  remove  that  eanse.  and  thereby  permanent  Iv 
eradicate  the  evil,  is  not  opt  iniisin.  It  is  the  worst 
sort  of  pessimism.  The  evil  grows  while  \ve  ignore 
it.  \Yhen  oue  has  learned,  as  I  have  done  and  you 
can  easily  learn  this,  also,  Mr.  Tremont-- -to  read  the 
records  of  the  past" — the  dark  eyes  held  the 
brown  ones  now.  and  again  commanded  considera- 
li'Mi  -"and  sees  how  things  human  came  to  l>e  what 
they  are,  and  to  reali/e  just  how  they  ean  he  made 
the  way  they  ought  to  be;  so  that,  not  only  a  select 
few.  but  every  human  being  on  earth  could  -within 
a  decade  be  made  happy  and  comfortable,  .me 
longs  for  the  means  of  compelling  the  unprejudiced 
attention  of  them  all.  For  nothing  but  ignorance 
of  the  way--l\ita.  the  right  path — prevents.  That 
way  is  thru  equality  of  freedom — the  only  equality 
-:ble  to  human  beings.  It  is  a  kind  of  equality 
that  will  bless  everyone  and  curse  none.  To  point 
the  way  to  its  speedy  and  peaceful  attainment  is 
the  truest  optimism.  There  is  no  other  possible  way 
by  which  human  beings  can  live  in  peace  and  har 
mony  and  well  being.  It  se.-mvs  unity  solidarity — 
just  where,  and  only  where,  it  is  needed  ;  and  leaves 
the  larjj  hl«-  freedom  everywhere  else.  That 

is  the  message  of  blessing  and  happiness,  the  mes- 
of  hope  and  helpfulness-  the  gospel  of  glad 
tidings  humanity  is  everywhere  looking  for.  Will 
you  join  us  m  spreading  abroad  this  light.  Mr.  Tn- 
Miont  .'  Will  yon  be  one  of  the  true  optimist  >  •>!' 
our  time?" 


GLEN   IIAJtmNCji'S   FA  ITU  (68 

"KealJy  MOW,  Miss  Harding,  you  know  how  busy 
I  am,  and  that  I  am  teaching  the  use  of  a  great 
power  thru  the  exercise  of  which  individuals  can 
secure  prosperity.  I  don't  see  how  I  can  take  up 
anything  more." 

"You  teach  that  we  should  not  use  that  power 
to  injure  our  fellows.  What  is  it,  when  you  use  the 
power  to  form  a  mask  before  your  own  mind  to 
keep  out  the  truth  which  alone  can  set  your  fel 
lows — and  yourself — free?  You  teach  the  oneness 
of  all.  What  is  it  when  you  hold  yourself  aloof — 
as  in  a  shell  of  individual  prosperity — from  the  woes 
you  can  help  to  speedily  abolish  '!  Oh,  Mr.  Tremont, 
I  wish  so  much" — it  was  Gleri  Harding 'a  gray  eyes 
now  that  looked  pleadingly  from  the  face  of  the 
Greek  goddess — "that  you  would  join  us  in  this 
work.  You  have  the  ability  to  be  a  power  in  the 
cause  of  true  freedom." 

"I  would  be  glad  to  work  with  you  in  any  way  I 
can,  Miss  Harding,  and  if  you  think  I  can  help — 
oh,  Miss  Harding,  Gleri,  I  must  tell  you  what  has 
been  on  my  mind  so  long,  and  it  may  show  us  the 
way  out,  the  way  to  work  together,  and— 

The  slight  rattle  of  a  doorknob,  and  a  rustle  of 
skirts,  caused  Arthur  Tremont  to  stop  short  and 
glance  toward  the  far  end  of  the  room,  where  the 
doorway  framed  for  an  instant  a  vision  of  lovliness, 
as  Mrs.  Dennison,  in  a  gown  of  blue  brocade,  with 
(juilted  satin  petticoat,  and  her  fair  hair  piled  high 
and  powdered  in  the  fashion  of  1776,  entered  the 
room.  She  greeted  the  guest  cordially,  then  said: — 

"Do  please  excuse  me,  Mr.  Tremont,  for  the  neces- 


son.  or  TIII-:  \VOI;LI> 

sit\    of  i-arrying  off  my  sister,   luit    I    promised 
Romanic  to  IK-  there  early,  as  we  are  In  help 
and   my  husband  is  waiting  with  thr  car." 

"Miss  Hanlinir  warned  me  that  her  time  was 
limited  today.  I  thank  you  for  letting  me  stay  till 
the  last  minute."  as  he  glanced  at  the  clock,  "I 
must  go  or  you  will  surely  be  lai-  ." 

"Think  over  what  I  said.  Mr.  Tremmit/'  was 
(lien  Harding'*  parting  word,  as  he  held  her  hand 
an  instant  hut  her  sister  stood  beside  her,  and 
he  huried  off  in  some  bewildermeni  nf  mind. 

"You  came  just  in  time  to  help  me  out  tinely, 
hirdie,"  her  sister  said,  as  they  donned  the  IOIILT. 
li«rht  cloaks  wliieh  concealed  their  cost  nines  and 
hui-ried  out  to  the  waiting  car. 

"He  looked  so  bewildered  and  da/.ed  1  wondered 
what  you  had  been  saying  to  him." 

"I  was  trying  to  make  him  sec  some  truths  that 
are  worth  while,  and  to  keep  him  from  saying  thinirs 
I  did  not  wish  to  hear.  Von  came  just  at  the  right 
moment,  Birdie." 

"I'm  glad  of  that.  I  was  afraid  I  would  be  too 
late  to  do  any  good,  but  I  could  not  get  <l«»\vn 
sooner.  I  had  to  help  Will,"  and  she  laughed.  "The 
pool-  dear  was  all  confused,  trying  to  tret  into  that 
costume,  there  are  so  many  parts;  but  he  looks  tine. 
now  it's  all  on!" 

They  were  not  late,  and  Jack  Romaine  was  .jubi 
lant  over  Glen  Hardinjr's  appearance.  "You  will 
be  the  most  |Vtehin«r  thing  in  the  grounds.  Miss 
Harding."  he  said,  for  the  party  was  an  out-of-doors 
affair. 


GLEN  HARDING 'S  FAITH  405 

She  laughed  heartily,  yet  pleased  with  his  appro 
val.  "You  say  that  because  you  like  me,  Jack,  and 
you  are  so  handsome  yourself  in  that  Louis  XIV 
costume  that  I  shall  want  you  near  enough  to  look 
at  quite  frequently." 

"All  right.  I'll  only  need  to  follow  Motora  or 
Wynn  around,  then.  Mr.  Motor  a 's  going  to  be  A-l. 
I  saw  his  costume  when  I  stopped  at  his  rooms  a 
moment  this  morning  to  see  if  he  was  back.  He 
had  just  come.  Oh,  here  comes  Mr.  Wynn.  Looks 
pretty  nice,  doesn't  he?  I  could  not  get  him  to 
wear  anything  more  fancy — and  that  seems  appro 
priate  to  him,  someway,  just  as  this  does  to  you/' 
and  he  looked  in  open  admiration  at  the  Greek  god 
dess,  who  smiled  her  appreciation. 

A  moment  later,  turning  to  welcome  Ernest  Wynn, 
she  was  just  in  time  to  hear  her  sister  say:  "Why, 
Mr.  Wynn,  I  am  very  pleased  to  see  you  here.  It 
seems  we  have  reincarnated  backward  to  the  same 
life — we  must  have  a  little  visit  and  talk  over  old 
times,  when  I  can  get  out  of  this  rush." 

"With  the  greatest  pleasure,  Mrs.  Dennison," 
returned  the  voice  of  Ernest  Wynn,  tho  it  came 
from  a  figure  in  the  knee  breeches,  long  waistcoat 
and  powdered  wig  of  more  than  a  hundred  years 
before.  Glen  Harding  noticed  the  fineness  of  the 
material  of  the  suit,  and  recognized  the  silver 
buckles  on  the  shoes  as  heirlooms  in  the  Romaine 
family.  The  fine  edge  of  lace  on  shirt  frill  and 
sleeve  edge  marked  the  Virginia  gentleman — alto 
gether,  he  looked  very  well,  indeed,  she  decided. 

Ernest  Wynn  had  hardly  passed  on  when  Inazo 


i"«;  Tin-:  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

Motoru  appeared,  coming  up  the  broad  walk  toward 
i In-ill,  with  tlic  manner  and  bearing  of  a  Japanese 
nobleman  of  an  earlier  era,  on  his  way  to  an  inter 
view  at  court.  On  he  came,  graceful  and  serene, 
and  in  the  eyes  of  the  Greek  goddess,  standing 
among  those  waiting  to  receive  him,  there  shone  a 
look  of  pleased  admiration  as  she  noted  the  beauty 
of  the  court  dress  and  its  perfect  fitness  to  tin- 
wearer.  The  hitadare  shozoku,  or  vertically  hang 
ing  ancient  costume,  was  of  white  and  gold  brocade, 
the  red  lining  showing  under  the  edges  of  the  wide, 
flowing  sleeves.  The  neatly  fitting  kutsu  just 
showed,  as  he  walked,  below  the  long  robe.  On  his 
head  he  wore  a  tate  eboshi,  or  ceremonial  hat,  as 
clearly  indicative  of  high  rank  as  wrere  the  family 
emblems  which  formed  the  designs  of  the  rich  bro 
cade.  In  one  hand  he  carried  an  ivory  shaku,  or 
fan-shaped  notebook,  as  ornamental  as  it  was  useful. 

"Isn't  he  a  stunner,  Miss  Harding!  He  makes 
me  agree  with  Mark  Twain  that  we  ought  to  wear 
colors,"  exclaimed  Jack  Romaine,  in  a  hasty  whis 
per,  as  the  stately  figure  neared  the  waiting  group. 

There  was  no  time  for  talk.  People  were  coming 
in  such  numbers  as  to  prove  Mrs.  Dennison's 
"everybody"  hardly  an  exaggerated  statement;  and 
the  large  grounds  had  never  looked  more  lovely  than 
that  afternoon,  when  they  formed  the  setting  for  a 
lot  of  happy  looking  people  from  all  nations  and 
ages. 

Jack  Romaine  seemed  everywhere,  and  Glen  Hard 
ing  exerted  herself  to  help  on  every  plan  he  sug 
gested.  Just  after  sunset,  however,  she  found  a 


GLEN  HARDING 'S  FAITH  407 

moment  alone,  and  hurried  to  the  western  edge  of 
the  high  part  of  the  grounds,  where  she  stood, 
against  a  background  of  shrubbery,  watching  the 
lovely  yellowing  of  the  sky  behind  the  western  hills. 
As  she  looked,  the  sound  of  approaching  voic.es  came 
to  her,  and  a  moment  later  Inazo  Motora  and  Ernest 
Wynn  appeared. 

"Now,  this  is  good,  Miss  Harding,"  exclaimed  the 
latter.  "We  were  just  wishing  we  could  have  your 
help  in  getting  a  good  definition  of  true  optimism." 

She  smiled  as  she  replied,  "I  was  talking  over 
that  subject  with  Mr.  Tremont  this  afternoon,  and 
I  can  tell  you  what  I  told  him." 

"I  should  like  to  hear  it,"  said  the  Japanese 
nobleman. 

"So  would  I,"  added  the   Virginia  gentleman. 

"Let  us  sit  down  where  we  can  look  at  the  sky 
as  we  talk,  the  coloring  is  so  beautiful  tonight." 
The  Greek  goddess  led  the  way  a  few  yards  farther 
toward  the  edge  of  the  slope,  and  found  two  benches 
under  a  well  trimmed  pepper  tree,  from  which  they 
had  a  fine  view  of  the  Arroyo  as  well  as  the  western 
sky.  Glen  Harding  seated  herself  on  one  of  the 
benches,  and  the  two  men  took  the  other. 

"It  is  so  delightful  here,"  said  Ernest  Wynn, 
"and  I  always  like  the  pepper  trees."  He  glanced 
up  at  the  fern-like  sprays,  and  the  long  clusters  of 
bright  green  and  shining  red  berries  over  their 
heads.  , 

"The  feathery  lovliness  of  the  pepper  tree  adds 
much  to  the  charm  of  Southern  California,"  re 
marked  Inazo  Motora.  "It  matters  not  whether  it 


I'"*  THE  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

is  allowed  to  prow  wild.  (»r  is  1  rimmed  and  trained 
like  this.    It  is  always  charming  when  in  full  leaf." 

''And  it  is  beaut  if'ul  everywhere  I've  seen  it," 
added  Krnest  \Vynn.  "A  garden  or  a  barren  foot 
hill  or  a. hidden  canyon  are  all  one  to  this  delightful 
tree." 

4 'You  are  an  outdoor  lover,  Mr.  Wynn."  said  the 
Japanese,  smilingly.  "You  must  visit  my  home 
some  day." 

"It  will  he  a  great  pleasure,"  returned  the  other. 
"But,  Mr.  .Motora.  did  you  ever  look  down  an 
avenue  of  more  graceful  trees  than  those  which  meet 
in  a  high  arch  over  the  middle  of  South  Marengo? 
Looking  south,  down  the  center  of  the  street,  those 
large  pepper  trees,  extending  for  nearly  a  mile  on 
both  sides  of  the  street,  let  just  enough  sunshine 
thru  to  relieve  the  vista  from  the  darkness  which 
might  otherwise  suggest  a  tunnel,  and  make  of  that 
smooth  asphalt  pavement  a  delightful  elysian  path 
to  a  point  of  clear  sky  at  the  far  end.  The  pepper 
tree  has  charms  for  me  that  no  other  shade  tree 
has.  It  alone  will  go  far  toward  keeping  me  in  this 
slimmer  dinn'." 

"That  is  a  delightful  street."  said  Ina/.o  Motora, 
"and  you  will  appreciate  the  beauties  of  Japan. 
.Mr.  Wynn." 

"  I  like  the  pepper  tree,  but  I  love  the  eucalypte," 
remarked  (Ih-n  Harding,  laughingly.  "1  really 
don't  know  just  why.  How  much  more  we  could 
••ill  have  of  the  pure  enjoyments  of  nature- -of  all 
out  doors  if  error  had  never  come  into  the  world 
mneh  of  natural  beauty  and  Lrrandeiir--of  the 


GLEN  HAEDING'S  FAITH  409 

forests  and  the  live  things — has  been  destroyed  and 
can  never  be  replaced.  I  have  tried  to  think  out 
just  how  people  came  to  let  error  dominate  them 
as  it  does  today.  It  is  evident  that  during  the 
infancy  and  childhood  periods  of  humanity  the 
vibrations  due  to  canopy  movement,  the  full  power 
of  the  spectacular  display  and  physical  motion,  con 
trolled  the  movements  of  the  growing  human  beings. 
During  the  youthtime  of  humanity  the  spectacular 
became  more  and  more  prominent,  while  tho  vibra 
tions  due  to  canopy  revolution  became  less  power 
ful  as  the  -vapors  became  thinner  and  thinner  and 
neared  their  end.  When  the  end  came,  and  the  sky 
cleared,  a  mature  humanity  stood  forth  capable  of 
controlling  its  own  actions.  That  is,  during  the 
time  of  immaturity,  canopy  vibrations  dominated 
and  controlled  human  action.  After  the  canopy 
passed  away,  the  thought  force  in  human  beings 
dominated  and  controlled  human  acts.  Natural 
law — from  which  nothing  can  escape — works  on 
unceasingly,  but  human  beings  must  discover  it  and 
intelligently  utilize  it.  This  is  just  as  true  when  it 
is  a  question  of  the  natural  law  controlling  the 
harmonious  association  of  persons,  as  when  it  is  a 
law  controlling  the  movements  of  an  electric  auto 
mobile." 

"But  the  disorderly  movements  of  the  canopy, 
when  it  was  vanishing  from  sight,  educed  abnormal 
activities  of  humanity — necessarily  evolved  the  self- 
ward  bias  of  their  desires,"  remarked  Inazo  Motora, 
thoughtfully. 

"But  it  seems  that  it  has  ever  been  in  civilizations 


410  THE  SOUL  Ol    Till.   WoULD 

that  the  disorderly  became  i>n>inin<>n1."  s;ii<l 
Harding.  ''It  is  only  in  our  most  highly  advanced 
civilization  that  disorder  is  dominant.  It  is  certainly 
not  necessary  that  people  should  remain  disorderly 
when  they  have  once  recognized  that  'order  is 
heaven's  first  law.'  The  reason  that  the  tendency 
toward  order  is  strongest,  is  because  the  orderly 
movements  were  age-long,  and  repeated  over  and 
OV«r  and  over  again,  until  an  indelible  impression 
was  produced,  and  this  became  fixed.  Tin-  disor 
derly  was  sudden,  and,  comparatively,  soon  over. 
It  could  make  no  such  lasting  impression  as  an 
orderly  repetition  necessarily  does." 

4 'Still,"  suggested  the  Japanese,  ''the  latest 
impression  is  the  one  that  controls,  and  the  latest 
canopy  vibrations  were  confusing  in  their  disorderly 
trend,  and  left  people  with  that  character." 

"Not  all.  Mr.  Motora."  said  Glen  Hardinir. 
t-ly.  "Think  a  moment,  how  many  uncivilized 
peoples  have  been  found  living  peacefully  and  hap 
pily  together.  Your  idea  seems  to  hold  the  though! 
that  people  cannot  help  beinLr,  disorderly-  at  war 
with  one  another — and  I  am  sure  that  is  a  mistake. 
Mature  people  have  the  power  to  chancre  their  habits. 
Your  conception  scorns  like  that  of  a  friend  of  mine 
who.  when  past  forty-five  years  of  au<-  excused 
herself  for  <b>inLT  eertain  things  because  her  mother 
tauirht  her  BO  th  MILTS  she  f.-It  were  unwise  to  do. 
Children  arc  not  responsible  for  the  training  they 
•_'••(  from  their  environment.  During1  youth  they 
LTOW  toward  responsibility  as  the  mind  and  body 
irrow  toward  maturity.  The  day  comes  when  nach 


GLEN  HARDING 'S  FAITH  411 

human  being  becomes  responsible  for  va's  own  life" 
— Ernest  Wynn  smiled  to  himself  as  he  heard  his 
word  from  her  lips — 'kto  the  extent  that  the  indi 
vidual  can  control  it,"  Glen  Harding  continued.  "I 
may  find  myself  with  a  strong  or  a  weak  body,  a 
well  educated  or  a  blurred  brain,  according  to  the 
way  parents  or  guardians  have  done  their  part  dur 
ing  my  childhood  and  youth.  But  however  I  find 
myself,  I  am  henceforth  responsible  for  what  I  make 
of  that  self.  I  have  the  capacity  to  learn  and  to  do. 
I  have  the  power  to  throw  away  every  belief  instilled 
into  me  as  a  child  and  youth.  It  rests  with  me  to 
retain  the  orderly  and  discard  the  erroneous.  I  am 
not  obliged  to  retain  the  use  of  candles  and  kerosene 
lamps  after  I  learn  to  utilize  gas  and  electricity." 

"No,  but  that  disorderly  tendency  has  to  be 
eliminated  by  character  education— thru  the  pour 
ing  in  of  the  spirit  of  love,"  persisted  the  Japanese. 

"Confusion  and  disorder  among  persons  are  evi 
dence  of  an  abnormal  condition,"  said  Glen  Harding, 
insistent,  in  her  turn,  ' '  and  the  only  possible  way  out 
is  thru  the  discovery  of  that  phase  of  natural  law 
which  regulates  that  harmonious  association  of 
human  beings,  and  then  applying  it  promptly  and 
thoroly.  Then  we  will  all  naturally  show  the  true 
friendliness  and  love  for  each  other  that  will  make 
this  world  a  delightful  home  for  all  human  beings — 
and  other  live  things.  We  can  now  demonstrate 
that  in  the  discovery  of  the  exact  nature  and  source 
of  real  ground  rent,  this  law  has  at  last  been  found. 
The  discovery  of  this  law  makes  possible  the  estab 
lishment  of  a  perfect  land  tenure  system — a  balanced 


ii-  TIII:  son.  or  TIII-:  WOULD 

!;i!id    tenure     which    means    «-.ju;i|    opportunities    for 
nil.  as  quickly   ;is   people   learn   of  the  discovery   and 
lp  its  meaning." 

"I  believe  you  are  riirht.  .Mis>  I  larding."  said 
Krnest  \Vyiiu.  "lint  you  were  going  to  tell  us  how 
you  defined  true  optimism  for  Treinont." 

"Yes."  was  the  smiling  reply,  "and  I'll  do  it 
now."  And  the  two  men  listened  with  very  evident 
interest  to  her  aeeount  of  her  explanation  of  opti 
mism,  and  he!1  lind  in  Kdward  Carpenter's  book. 

"I  shall  follow  up  that  line  until  1  have  it  quite 
clear. "  said  Ina/o  Motora. 

"It  is  curious  that  Tremont  should  get  ahead  of 
us  on  such  knowledge."  added  Krnest  Wynn. 

Glen  Harding  smiled  appreciatively  at  the  eager 
interest  of  the  two  men,  as  she  replied,  "Not  at 
all,  Mr.  Wynn.  Mr.  Tremont  was  most  in  need  of 
that  truth  and  therefore  attracted  it  to  himself  a 
few  hours  earlier." 

"That  man  could  he  a  great,  help  in  the  work  for 
true  freedom  if  he  would  let  himself  study  the  sub 
ject  seriously,"  observed  Ernest  Wynn. 

'I  told  him  so,"  said  Glen  Harding,  "and  I 
reminded  him  that  he  could  not  avoid  seeing  the 
-irain  and  suffering  and  riot  about  him." 

"When  I  think  of  all  that.  Miss  Harding,"  and 
the  face  of  the  Japanese  expressed.the  depth  of  piti 
ful  sympathy,  ''of  the  unmoral,  misguided  state  of 
atfairs  in  tin-  world  nowadays — so  atrocious  and  dis 
appoint  in.irly  miserable  so  far  from  the  goal  on 
either  side  of  the  primary  meridian  planet,  I  feel 
a  thunderbolt  is  almost  needed  to  destroy  the  whole 


GLEN  HABDING'S  FAITH  413 

thing!  But  110 !  decidedly  no!  the  quintessence,  it 
still  remains  with  even  the  lowest-trodden  beggar's 
son!" 

"What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Motora,  by  either  side 
the  primary  meridian?"  asked  Ernest  Wynn,  alert 
to  catch  a  thought  new  to  him. 

"Something  this  way,"  was  the  quick  response 
of  the  Japanese,  the  depths  of  his  dark  eyes  glowing 
with  the  heat  of  fervent  thought:  "Equal  freedom 
is  the  goal  of  the  occidental  society,  as  faithfulness 
is  the  ideal  of  its  oriental  neighbor.  The  one  is  the 
natural  product  of  the  mind  of  a  people  objectively 
and  practically  inclined;  while  the  other  is  that  of 
the  heart  of  a  people  subjectively  and  meditatively 
inclined.  These  ideals,  tho  they  may  seem  to  oppose 
each  other,  are,  in  reality  like  the  wheels  of  a  chaise, 
inseparably  united  to  carry  humanity  over  into  a 
golden  age  under  the  present  sky.  Give  'Rita'  her 
rightful  upperhand,  and,  who  can  tell  what  a  sweep 
ing  change  might  be  accomplished  in  this  veriest 
present  day !  Equilibrium  of  equity,  I  doubt  not,  is 
the  Rita  of  the  matured  world,  of  this,  our  world." 

Glen  Harding  looked  at  him  thoughtfully.  "That 
is  true  optimism,"  she  said. 

"Your  idea  of  the  two  wheels  of  the  chaise  strikes 
me  as  fine,  Mr.  Motora,"  said  Ernest  Wynn,  heartily. 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment  as  the  three 
looked  toward  the  still  glowing  brightness  of  the 
western  sky,  and  then  back  at  each  other;  each 
seeing  the  light  reflected  in  the  other  faces.  A 
thought  came  to  Glen  Harding.  "You  two  men 
are  like  the  wheels  of  that  chaise,"  she  said.  "Will 


•1U  TIIK  SOUL  OF  THE   WuKLD 

you  t\v«>  shake  hands  on  it,  in  token  of  our  all  join 
ing  together  in  the  work- of  bringing  into  conscious 
life  the  soul  of  the  world — equal  freedom — true 
freedom  for  .all?" 

Tin  nobleman  of  old  Japan  and  the  American  of 
177»i  rose  witli  one  jieeord  and  stood  before  her, 
their  liands  joined  in  a  grasp  that  was  firm  and 
ng.  Glen  Harding  looked  up  at  the  two  mm 
as  they  stood  for  a  moment  with  clasped  hand**,  t  In 
huming  glow  in  the  dark  orbs  of  the  orient  answer 
ing  the  bright  sparkle  in  the  blue  eyes  of  the  Occi 
dent .  How  unlike,  and  yet  how  alike,  they  were! 
Unlike  in  the  mere  shell  of  outer  appearance,  yet 
so  completely  one  in  the  wide  empire  of  the  mind, 
the  higher  realm  of  the  soul :  Her  sister's  question, 
'Which  shall  it  be?'  passed  thru  her  mind  as  the 
men  dropped  their  liands  and  turned  with  one  accord 
to  her.  For  a  fleeting  second  she  caught  the  sparkle 
in  the  blue  eyes  and  felt  an  answering  bright ness 
in  her  own — and  a  slight  smile  parted  her  lips. 
Then  she  knew  the  dark  eyes  were  bent  upon  her 
and  she  half  turned  to  meet  the  glowing  fire  that 
seemed  to  light  a  path  to  her  inmost  thoughts.  She 
fell  the  warm  blood  rising,  and  knew  that  her 
cheeks  were  Unshed  to  their  hottest,  as  she  met  that 
irlanee  and  held  the  dark  eyes  while  she  sent  her 
message  thru  them  to  the  innermost  soul  of  the 
man.  For  in  that  moment  she  knew  her  choice  was 
made.  Did  Inazo  Motora  also  understand?  She 
believed  that  he  did. 

Really,  there  was  no  choice.  It  was  a  matter  of 
getting  together  two  halves  that  accurately  fitted 


GLEN  HARDING 'S  FAITH  415 

each  other,  and  together  made  a  perfect  whole.  The 
old  saying  of  the  Qabala  was  true:  "Chokmah, 
Wisdom,  and  Binah,  Understanding,  counterbalanced 
together  in  most  perfect  equality  of  Male  and 
Female."  Thus  ran  Glen  Harding 's  thoughts;  but 
what  she  said  was  :— 

"There  is  Jack  coming.  I  think  he  is  looking 
for  me.  Yes,  he  has  seen  us  and  is  beckoning.  I 
must  go  back.  But  I  am  so  glad,"  she  added,  as  she 
walked  along  the  broad  path  between  them,  "I  am 
so  glad  we  three  had  this  pleasant  little  time 
together  here." 

"Yes,  the  memory  of  what  passed  among  us  in 
this  clear  eventide  shall  be  my  everlasting 
encouragement,  my  dear  friends,"  said  Inazo 
Motora.. 

"And  to  me,  an  inspiration,"  said  Ernest  Wynn. 


CIIAl'TKR  20. 


NOT  A    PROPOSAL. 

The  morning  after  the  garden  party — which  was 
Over,  and  the  last    guest  gone  by  eleven  o'clock — 

(il.-n  I  larding  woke  very  early,  and  found  herself 
very  wide  awake.  A  glance  from  the  window 
showed  her  the  mornin.ir  was  dear,  and  that  the 
garden  was  beautiful  in  the  moonlight.  She  rose 
and  dressed  hastily — such  a  morning  was  too  good 
to  lose!  A  glance  at  the  clock  told  her  it  was  not 
yet  four.  She  went  noiselessly  out  onto  the  south 
pergola  to  its  eastern  end.  The  full  moon*  hung 
like  a  gigantic  ball  of  light  low  in  the  west.  Mood- 
ing  the  garden  with  its  pure  radiance.  She  looked 
down  at  the  fairy-like  network  of  leaves  and  ten 
drils  and  flowers  that  were  drawn  with  clear-cut 
outlines  on  the  broad  walks  of  the  garden,  and  in 
s ..t't.-r  tmiehes  on  the  grass  of  the  lawn.  Every 
tree  and  Imsh.  each  vine  and  flowering  plant,  had 
its  own  eharaeterist  ie  beauty.  Then  she  looked  up 
and  was  almost  startled  at  a  sudden  blaze  of  light — 
but  in  a  moment  she  understood.  It  was  Venus, 
se.-iuingly  larger  and  brighter  than  she  had  ever 
Been  the  planet  before.  Like  a  small  moon,  but 
with  a  more  vividly  brilliant  light,  it  shone  against 
the  pure  sky.  framed  in  on  three  sides  by  tin-  dark 
masses  of  tall  eii<-al  \  -pi  s.  the  t<»|»  open  like  a  hall 
of  liLdit  in  a  well  of  life!  Turning  slightly  toward 


NOT  A  PEOPOSAL  417 

the  south,  still  looking  into  the  eastern  sky,  she 
saw  all  the  glory  of  great  Orion.  Every  star  still 
showing,  with  Betelgeuze  and  Rigel  very  bright,  in 
face  of  the  full  moon  and  coming  dawn.  Looking 
higher,  she  found  Aldebaran  and  the  Pleiades,  and 
Capella  with  the  kids.  She  looked  again  at  Venus 
in  her  frame,  and  wondered  if  there  was  anything 
more  delicately  lovely  among  the  trees  than  the  tops 
and  outer  edges  of  the  eucalypts  as  seen  against 
the  dawn  sky.  A  sudden  thought  struck  her,  and 
she  went  hastily  to  the  western  end  of  the  pergola. 
Yes,  Deneb  and  Vega  were  still  visible,  low  in  the 
northwest.  She  looked  toward  the  north  where  the 
giant  heaps  of  the  Sierra  Madre  range  showed  a 
clean,  sharp  outline  against  the  lighter  sky.  A 
shower  two  days  before — the  only  one  of  the  sum 
mer — had  cleared  the  air,  and  it  seemed  to  Glen 
Harding  that  she  could  almost  see  the  individual 
rocks  and  bushes  on  the  mountain  side,  as  the  dawn 
grew  brighter.  The  coming  day  reminded  her  that 
there  was  work  to  be  done,  and  she  gave  one  long, 
final  look  at  the  loveliness  about  her,  near  and  far, 
drew  in  a  deep  draught  of  the  deliciously  fresh  and 
sweet  morning  air,  then  re-entered  the  house  and 
wrent  quickly  down  into  the  garden. 

Glen  Harding  started  about  her  daily  work  as 
usual,  and  yet  she  felt  that  everything  was  different 
this  morning  from  all  the  other  mornings  she  had 
known.  What  would  the  day  bring  to  her?  Some 
thing  new  and  wonderful — she  felt  it  so  surely. 
Many  possibilities  passed  thru  her  mind.  Had  Inazo 
Motora  understood  her  message  ?  Yes,  she  could  not 


418  TIII:  .NOUL  OF  Tin: 

doubt  if.  The  |o<>k  in  his  eyet  ;I?K|  the  iirni  pressure 
of  his  hand.  MS  In-  bade  her  <n><>d  niirht  the  evening 
before,  told  her  that,  tho  there  had  l>eeii  a  little 
crowd  about  them.  ;ind  no  nppurt  unity  Tor  M  private 
word. 

Her  work  that,  morning  eliMiieed  to  lie  taking  up 
luilhs  1'roin  a  bed  near  the  front  entrance.  Sin- 
paused  now  Miid  then  in  her  work  to  look  about  her 
and  enjoy  the  freshne.ss  of  the  dear,  delicious  air. 
and  to  note  the  sheen  of  increasin«r  light  on  trees 
and  bushes.  She  watched  the  mocking  birds  as 
they  came  close  about  her,  eager  for  the  grubs  her 
work  might  bring  to  light  ;  smiling  now  and  then, 
as  one,  more  fearless  than  the  rest,  tlew  down 
almost  at  her  hand  to  snatch  a  coveted  morsel. 
Once,  she  even  stopped  her  work  and  went  aci-o-^ 
the  garden  to  look  at  a  clump  of  tall  primroses, 
because  she  had  discovered  that  the  delicate  tinting 
of  the  large  yellow  flowers  \\as  j.. vilest  in  the  clear 
light  just  before  sunrise. 

As  Glen  Harding  resumed  her  work,  her  thoughts 
went  out  to  the  thousands  upon  thousands  of  women 
and  ehildren  to  whom  sueh  gardens  were  unknown; 
to  whom  a  Mower  was  a  luxury,  and  the  delicious 
feel  of  the  pure  air  a  thing  undreamed  of.  Yet 
how  soon,  how  easily  and  peacefully,  they  could  all 
have  the  en.joyment  she  knew.  Nay.  much  ttMM 
than  she  could  know,  until  all  those  others  could 
>hare  it  with  her.  Mow  differently  this  garden 
would  look  to  her,  with  that  veil  of  the  misery — the 
needless  suOVi-mir  of  the  world  out  of  her  mind, 
because  abolished  forever! 


NOT  A  PEOPOSAL  419 

How  glorious  life  would  be,  with  all  standing  on 
the  simple,  normal  foundation  of  equal  opportuni 
ties.  How  easily  and  peaceably  and  quickly  such  a 
life  could  become  an  established  fact,  if  only  a  few 
intelligent  people  could  be  waked  up  to  see  the 
truth !  A  very  simple  truth,  withal.  How  long  she 
had  thought  of  that!  Now,  at  last,  the  way  was 
opening  for  the  work  she  longed  to  do.  The  knowl 
edge  they  now  possessed,  the  financial  help  of  her 
brother-in-law  and  Jack  Romaine — what  a  fine 
young  fellow  he  was,  and  she  smiled  as  she  thought 
of  his  wholehearted  enthusiasm — assured  the  chance 
to  carry  out  the  plan  she  had  long  dreamed  of — 
if  only— 

"Good  morning,  Miss  Harding,  I  thought  I  might 
find  you  busy  somewhere  about,"  and  Ernest  Wynn 
stood  looking  down  upon  her,  smiling  cheerfully. 

She  glanced  up,  as  she  returned  his  greeting,  and 
realized  at  once  that  he  had  come  upon  some  unus 
ual  errand.  There  was  a  new  light  in  his  eyes,  and 
a  suppressed  eagerness  in  his  tone  and  manner,  and 
yet  a  certain  hesitation  she  had  never  seen  in  him 
before.  She  thought  quickly. 

"Excuse  me  a  moment,"  she  said,  "while  I  rake 
this  bed  smooth,  and  we  will  take  the  tools  and 
bulbs — just  see  what  a  lot  there  are — to  the  garden 
house.  Then  we  will  have  time  to  talk  a  little  before 
breakfast." 

She  was  working  as  she  spoke,  and  in  a  few 
moments  was  ready  to  lead  the  way  to  her  favorite 
arbor,  overlooking  the  Arroyo  Seco. 


!_"  THE  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Have  you  read  Professor  Vail's  book?"  she 
asked. 

"Yes.  ,-is  much  as  I  could.  I  spent  most  of  the 
hist  two  days  over  it  —  till  the  party!  I  think  Un 
hook  is  fine.  I  want  to  talk  with  the  Professor 
when  he  gets  home,  as  soon  as  you  can  arrange  it. 
Hut  I  came  about  a  more  personal  matter  this  morn- 
in<r.  Do  you  happen  to  know  the  Welden  Ranch? 
It's  a  five-acre  place  a  few  miles  out." 

"Yes,  indeed!  We  are  acquainted  with  the  Wel- 
dens.  and  often  called  there  before  they  went  back 
to  England.  The  place  has  been  well  cared  for  this 
summer.  I  took  Helen  all  over  it,  when  we  passed 
that  way  on  one  of  our  rides.  Did  you  notice  the 
house  .'  "It's  a  real  old  Southern  California  style, 
lull  built  of  good,  solid  concrete;  just  one  story,  and 
a  roii  ml  three  sides  of  a  large  patio,  with  a  wide 
pergola  across  the  open  end.  Helen  and  I  had  our 
breakfast  there  that  morning.  The  house  only 
needs  some  «:lass  jn  the  roof  and  a  few  little  changes 
to  make  it  just  what  I  would  plan  for  myself." 

"Then  you  would  like  to  live  there?" 

"Wouldn't  I  !  How  I  could  go  to  work  in  a  place 
of  that  si/el  It  's  not  too  large  and  yet  not  crowded, 
as  we  are  here,  by  the  neighbors.  And  there  is 
plenty  of  room  for  the  printery.  I  know  just  the 
spot  win-re  it  oiijrlit  to  go  to  fit  in  with  the  garden 


"You  think   it   would  not  be  too  far  out   to  have 
the  publishing  house  there'.'     That   has  bothered  me 

a     «_T.MM|    deal." 

"With    the    ri.irhl    sort    of   ,-iuto    it    will    not    be  too 


NOT  A  PROPOSAL  421 

far  out.  The  propaganda  work  can  be  done  ever 
so  much  better  in  such  inspiring  surroundings.  We 
need  to  live  as  near  a  normal  life  as  is  possible 
under  inequitable  conditions.  Only  as  we  do  that 
can  we  see  clearly  enough  to  inspire  in  others  the 
hope  of  sure  and  immediate  results  of  the  propa 
ganda." 

"That  is  true.  But  I- have  no  car  and  no  money 
with  which  to  buy  one,  Glen." 

It  was  the  first  time  he  had  called  her  by  her 
name,  and  she  felt  her  face  grow  warm  as  she  heard 
it  in  that  tone — but  she  answered  bravely: — 

"But  I  will  have  one!  Will  long  ago  promised 
me  an  automobile  when  I — whenever  I  asked  him 
for  it.  He  said  it  should  be  built  expressly.  I  shall 
hold  him  to  that  part  of  the  promise — tho  I  think 
he  has  not  forgotten — and  we  can  have  an  auto  to 
just  suit  our  needs,  our  work." 

"Then  you  want  me  to  take  the  place?  Grant 
told  me  about  it,  among  others,  on  my  way  out  here 
last  spring,  and  I  thought  it  fine  when  I  saw  it. 
Late  last  evening  he  phoned  me  I  must  decide 
today.  The  landlady  answered,  and  I  found  the 
message  when  I  went  back  to  my  room,  after  the 
party.  A  New  York  man  will  be  here  to  look  at 
the  place  tomorrow,  and  will  probably  take  it,  if 
I  don't  today.  You  know,  Glen,  I  am  not  rich," 
he  had  moved  closer,  and  now  held  the  hand  nearest 
him,  and  she  did  not  withdraw  it.  "I  have  enough 
to  pay  for  the  place,  and  about  three  hundred  dol 
lars  over — a  small  amount  to  start  on?  Then  there 
is  the  printery." 


I-  THK  HH'L  Of  mi:  WORLD 

Glen  Harding  was  thinking  rapidly.  "When  we 
go  in  to  breakfast,  Ernest" — she  saw  the  light  of 
a  great  happiness  come  into  his  eyes  as  she  spoke 
his  name — "you  can  phone  Mr.  Norwood  that  you 
will  take  the  ranch — the  commission  will  help 
them — then  we  can  consult  with  Will  about  going 
right  ahead  with  the  plans  for  the  printery.  With 
his  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  Jack's  help,  we  can 
Kuild  and  equip  a  place  amply  sufficient  to  begin 
with." 

4 'Glen,  you  are " 

"Auntie  Glen!  Auntie  Glen!  Where  are  you?" 
•  •ailed  a  child's  voice. 

"Here  in  the  arbor,  Merwyn." 

"Oh,  Auntie  Glen,  Fay  lias  found  a  flower  in  the 
LMrden  we  don't  know.  Will  you  come  and  see  it 
and  tell  us  what  it  is?  Please,"  the  eager  voice 
went  on,  as  the  child  ran  into  the  arbor.  ".Mr. 
Wyun.  will  you  come,  too?  It's  a  pretty  flower." 

As  they  rose  to  follow  the  child,  Glen  Harding 
said,  happily.  "This  is  not  Mr.  Wynn.  to  you,  any 
more.  Merwyn.  lie  is  going  to  be  your  Uncle 
Krnest," 

Th<>  ehild's  eyes  "pened  widely.  "Fay's  Uncle 
Krnrst?  And  Carol's,  too?" 

"Yes.  d«-ar.  he  will  be  1'nele  Krnest  to  all  of  yon. 
just  as  I  am  Auntie  Glen." 

"Oh,  I  must  tell  Kay."  .-md  ,,!T  darted  the  child. 
The  new  flower  was  forgotten,  for  the  moment,  at 
h-ast.  in  the  «jreat"r  wonder,  and  two  pairs  of  flying 
(Vet  carried  their  owners  swiftly  toward  the  house, 
t..  tell  Mama  and  Papa  the  wonderful  news. 


NOT  A  PEOPOSAL  423 

"Mama,  Mama,  Uncle  Ernest  is  coming  to  break 
fast,"  they  proclaimed  together,  as  they  mounted 
the  steps  of  the  side  porch,  where  Mrs.  Dennison 
stood  waiting  a  moment  for  the  sound  of  the  break 
fast  bell. 

"I  found  Uncle  Ernest  in  the  arbor,"  added 
Merwyn,  proudly. 

"That  was  a  great  find,  Merwyn;  a  very  good 
find,  indeed.  Now  run  in  and  get  ready  for  break 
fast,  while  I  wait  for  your  Uncle  Ernest. 

"What's  the  news,  Birdie?"  Her  husband 
emerged  from  the  library  and  stood  beside  her  in 
the  shelter  of  the  vines. 

"The  children  tell  me  their  Uncle  Ernest  is  com 
ing  for  breakfast,  that  Merwyn  found  him  in  the 
arbor.  What  do  you  think  of  that,  Will?" 

"Uncle  Ernest!  Well,  I  declare!  I'm  surprised, 
I'll  admit,  Birdie;  but  I'm  mighty  glad  Grlen  is  not 
going  to  Japan.  We  need  her  here  in  the  propa 
ganda  work." 

"There  they  oome.  Do  look  at  that  man's  face, 
Will — they  have  not  seen  us  yet.  If  you  ever  tell 
me  again  that  Ernest  Wynn  has  no  sentiment,  I'll 
know  you  don't  care  a  bit  about  being  truthful!" 

"Oh,  I  give  in,  Birdie.  You  are  wiser  than  I  in 
a  lot  of  ways.  I  keep  finding  them  now — you  are 
a  regularly  splendid  little  woman." 

His  wife  laughed.  "Oh,  Will,  it's  Glen  and 
Ernest  Wynn,  not  you  and  I,  who  are  just  engaged !" 
Yet  her  eyes  and  voice  showed  her  pleasure  in  the 
action  that  had  accompanied  his  speech. 

The  heartiest  of  welcomes  met  the  new  brother-to- 


i  i  mi:  SOUL  OF  THE  WORLD 

be.    when    the\     ;i1     |;is!     pea  e  h  e<  |    the    pol'eh.    just     MS    till1 

breakfast  hell  rantr.  and  Mrs.  Denuison  had  only 
time  to  «rive  her  sister  ;l  hasty  ling  and  a  low-toned, 
eager  word,  "Oh,  Glen,  I'm  so  glad  you  art-  going 
to  stay  with  us  I' 
ll  was  a  happy  party  that  gathered  around  the 
breakfast  table  at  Arroyo  Vista  that  inorninir. 

"You  will  want  your  own  car  now,  Glen," 
remarked  her  brother-in-law  during  the  talk. 
"What  am  I  to  order?" 

"We  must  plan  it  tirst.  1  want  one  to  suit  our 
needs  in  the  propaganda  and  printing  work.  A 
sort  of  combination  affair  is  what  I  have  in  mind." 

"All  right,  Glen.  I  will  order  it  as  soon  as  you 
have  the  plan  ready.  Going  to  have  the  printery 
on  the  ranch?" 

"Yes,  we  want  you  to  help  plan  it.  so  work  can 
begin  right  away,"  said  Ernest  Wynn. 

"You  must  let  me  furnish  your  house.  <JIrn,"  her 
sist«-r  broken  in.  •  "It  will  be  such  fun  to  take  you 
around  to  select  things."  . 

"That  will  be  splendid,  Birdie,  if  you 

"No  ifs  about  it,"  interrupted  her  sister,  brightly. 
"You  can  consider  that  as  settled. 

AVill  Dennison  had  been  think  in  i:.  "Suppose  I 
call  up  Jack  and  find  out  just  what  he  will  do? 
Thru  \ve  can  make  definite  plans  for  the  printery. 
B  "use  me  a  moment,  Birdie.  I'll  call  him  up  now 
-  -if  they  haven't  i^oiie." 

He  came  back  shortly,  saying,  "Jack  will  come 
right  over." 

The    older    meml-ei-s    of    the    family    had    just    ad- 


NOT  A  PROPOSAL  425 

journed  to  the  cool  library  when  Jack  Komaine  hur 
ried  in  and  shook  hands  all  around  in  the  liveliest 
fashion,  his  boyish  face  all  alight. 

"I'm  so  glad,  Miss  Harding,  I  want  to  hurrah! 
I  feel  as  tho  I  needed  to  let  off  steam." 

Glen  Harding  laughed.  ''Wait  till  we  are  out 
at  the  ranch,  and  then  you  can  make  all  the  noise 
you  want  to,  without  fear  of  disturbing  the  neigh 
bors." 

"We  want  to  knowr  just  what  you  will  do  toward 
the  printery,  Jack,"  said  AVill  Dennison. 

The  young  man  looked  a  little  surprised,  then 
said,  earnestly:  "I  meant  exactly  what  I  said  when 
I  told  Mr.  Wynn  he  could  count  on  me  for  all  I  ani 
worth — my  mother's  income  is  entirely  independent 
of  mine.  I  understand  that  a  good-sized  printery, 
outfitted  especially  for  our  propaganda  work,  is  the 
first  essential.  I  talked  the  whole  business  over  again 
with  mother  yesterday  morning.  I  want  to  learn 
the  printing  and  publishing  business  from  the 
ground  up — and  help  along  the  propaganda  at  the 
same  time.  You  said,"  he  turned  to  Ernest  Wynn. 
"that  you  know  all  but  the  press  work,  enough  to 
get  started.  I  thought  we  might  have  Mr.  Burns- 
Aunt  Kate's  friend  is  more  wild  Ihan  ever  to  stay 
out  here,  Mrs.  Dennison — to  manage  the  presses. 
I  will  put  up  all  the  cash  that  is  needed  in  addition 
to  Mr.  Dennison 's  help,  to  build  and  equip  the  sort 
of  printery  Mr.  Wynn  has  planned,  and  to  hire  the 
right  kind  of  help  to  start  with.  Then  we  can  bejjin 
right  away  with  the  paper  and  leaflets — and  even 


TIIK   SOU,  OK  Till;    \VOKIJ> 


and  as  the  luisin-  ^s  jfTOWfl   •re  fcan  add   1<>   it 
anything  needed." 

"Oh,    Jack,    that     will     make    success    sure." 
claimed    (lien    Ilardinir.    "and    in    looking    for    help 
we  want  to  employ  people  who  can  put  their  heart  v 
into    the    propaganda    as    well    as    their    Ins-ids    and 
hands   into  the'  print  inir.  " 

"To    be   sure   we    will."    assented    Km.-st     \Vynn. 
"I  know  several  old-time  single  taxers.   who   have 
seen  glimmers  of  the  now  li«rht.  who  will  he  «rlad 
•»me  out  here  and  work  in  siu-h  a  shop." 

"l>nt  how  about  your  two  more  yaw  at  Stan 
ford.  Jack?"  asked  .Mrs.  Dennison. 

''I'm  not  going!  I  told  mother  I  could  learn  a 
lot  more  worth  knowing  in  a  print  shop,  such  as 
we  will  have.  (She  did  not  see  it  that  way  at  lirsl. 
hut  I  told  her  to  try  me  a  year,  and  if  she  is  not 
satisfied  —  why,  I  can  go  back  to  the  university.  1 
will  not  have  to.  I  know,"  he  ended,  confidently. 

'/Are  you  en^a^ed  anywhere  today.  Jack?"  .Mrs. 
Dennison  put  the  question. 

"Xo.  Mother  took  Aunt  Kate  and  .Mrs.  linrn.s. 
and  started  for  the  l»eaeh  half  an  hour  a.iro.  hut  1 
did  not  want  to  ^n  down  there  and  loaf  around.  I 
want  to  help  -jvt  the  propaganda  Lr« 

"Then    suppose    I   have   a   lunch    put    up,"    sug 
gested  Mrs.  Dennison.  "and   we  all  go  to  the  ranch 
and    look    over    the    place.'     You    people   can    figure 
on  the  printery  while  I  plan   things  for  the   h 
It    will    l»e    irn-al    1'un  !" 

•'That    will   he   splendid.    Mirdie."   said   her   sister. 

"  \\Y    c;in    «rn    i-oiind    1  1  v    wav    of    \]}\     ronni  —  it's 


NOT  A  PROPOSAL  427 

always  pleasant  to  ride  down  South  Marengo — 
and  I  will  get  the  list  of  things  I  have  made  out. 
then  we  can  tell  how  large  a  building  wrill  be 
needed.  I  have  the  floor  spaces  all  figured  out  for 
the  machines  and  presses,"  concluded  Ernest  Wynn. 

"We  will  all  go,  Birdie,"  said  her  husband,  and 
Mrs.  Dennison  hurried  out  to  order  the  lunch  and 
give  Mrs.  Dent  directions  about  the  children. 

"If  we  send  in  the  orders  for  machinery  now,  and 
rush  the  building,  we  could  get  all  ready  to  start 
this  fall,  couldn't  we?"  asked  Jack  Romaine. 

"Certainly,"  answered  Will  Dennison.  "I 
couldn't  say  just  when,  tho." 

"I  thought  it  might  be  a  sort  of  fitting  tribute 
to  the  memory  of  Henry  George  if  wre  could  have 
the  outfit  all  ready  to  start  by  October  twenty- 
ninth,"  said  the  young  man. 

"We  will.  Jack,  if  hard  work  can  do  it,"  .assented 
Ernest  Wynn. 

"That's  a  good  thought,  Jack,  and  we  will  all 
try  our  best  to  accomplish  that  result,"  added  Will 
Dennison.  "It  will  be  a  token  that  the  fire  of 
Henry  George's  enthusiasm  kindles  the  flame  of 
this  new  movement  for  human  freedom." 

"Yes,  we  will  do  it!"  Glen  Harding  spoke,  and 
the  thrilling  ring  of  an  assured  hope  sounded  in  the 
music  of  her  voice.  "Then  it  will  take  but  a  few 
years  of  earnest,  steady  work,  in  the  right  way,  to 
spread  the  light  of  this  new  knowledge  thruout  the 
land — and  we  shall  see  the  last  vestige  of  oppression 
abolished,  and  a  rational,  sane  humanity  standing 
forth  on  the  normal  basis  of  a  balanced  land  tenuro 


TI1K  SOUL  OF  Till-:   \\<H;LI> 

to  reali/o  at  last  the  full  joy  of  living  in  the 
Lrlorions  ;iir  of  e<jual  freedom.  Then  we  shall  know 
in  daily  life  the  deep  pleasure  of  universal  equity, 
harmony.  and  friendship." 


Having  come  thus  far  with  me,  would  you  like 
to  «ro  farther.'  I  Lave  you  iVll  the  pulse  of  the 
Soul  of  thr  World  .'  Would  you  like  to  have  it 
lx-;it  iu  rliythinii-  harmony  with  natural  law.'  Tlu'n 
write  to  me  at  once,  and  let  us  discuss  together  in 
detail  the  plan  of  which  (il<'n  Harding  speaks. 

Remember  that  what  you  and  I.  and  other  folk- 
like  us.  think,  makes  "public  opinion."  L«-l  us 
make  it  con^-ioiisly.  deliberately,  so  that  our  chil 
dren  <-an  L'row  up  in  the  inspiring  air  of  inn- 
freedom,  and  show  to  what  irlorions  possibilities 
human  beings  can  rise. 

1  would  like  to  hear  from  «'\vry  persmi  who  reads 
this  book — no  matter  what  va  thinks  of  it — for  ! 
am  certain  that  somewhere  there  are  those  who  will 
•jladly  join  in  makinir  the  Soul  of  the  World  a 
liviiiLf.  manifested,  reality,  here  and  now. 

KSTKLLA    BACHMAN, 

Address    Station    A.    Pasadena.    California. 


4IVERS 


THE  GOLDEN  AGE  You  are  Booking  for'  and  tne  °njy 

Road     to     It,     Made     Clear     Thru 
Ancient   Wisdom   Explained  ........  By    ESTELLA    BACHMAN 

CONTENTS:  Chapter  1.  World  Making.  2.  'Evolution.  3. 
The  Celestial  World.  4.  Humanity's  Childhood.  5.  The 
Golden  Age.  6.  The  Great  Adept.  7.  Evolution  of  the 
Idea  of  God.  8.  Amerind  Traditions.  9.  Nature's 
Orderly  Trend.  10.  Government.  11.  The  Use  of  Rea 
son.  12.  A  Balanced  Land  Tenure. 

About  280  pages;  cloth,  postpaid  $1.  Now  ready  for  pub 
lication. 

IDEAL  MARRIAGE  ..........  By  ESTELLA  BACHMAN 

In  which  a  group  of  women  meet  and  discuss  "Ethical 
Marriage,"  "Women  and  Economics,''  and  "The  American 
Idea." 

CONTENTS:      Part   ].      Social   Functions.      2.   S'ex   Distinctions 
3.   A     Road     to     All     Truth.      4.   Tim    Practical     Side.      5. 
The    Law    of    Human    Association. 
In   preparation  —  being   revised. 

ATZILOTH,     The  Art  of  Equity.  .By   KSTKLLA  BACHMAN 
A     word    picture    of    a    year's    life    of    the     people     of     the 

Pasadena    of    the    future,    when    equal    freedom    prevails. 

CONTENTS:  Chapter  1.  Beside  the  Creek.  2.  Name  Day. 
3.  The  Benton-Moore  Farmhouse.  4.  A  New  Bug.  5. 
An  Experiment.  6.  September  Second  at  the  Coyote 
Inn.  7.  Blind  Age  '  Fashions.  8.  On  Jumbo  Knob. 
9.  Sunset  on  Echo  Mountain.  10.  Women  and  Men.  11. 
The  Pergola.  12.  Fossil  Thought.  13.  Blind  Age  Lit 
erature.  14.  The  World  War.  15.  The  Sunshine  So 
ciety.  16.  At  the  Parent's  Club.  17.  The  Vail  Birth 
day  Tournament.  18.  Blind  Age  Elections.  19.  Selec 
tion  day.  20.  Ranch  Life.  21.  The  Great  American 
Fetich.  22.  Blind  Age  Teachers.  23.  On  Point  An- 
gelino.  24.  The  Roof  Porch.  25.  The  Wedding.  26. 
The  Hunting  Trip.  27.  At  the  Old  House. 
A  companion  piece  to  "The  S'cience  of  Equity." 
In  preparation. 


THE  SCIENCE  OF  EQUITY 


By    WARREN    EDWIN    BROKAW 
A    somewhat    exhaustive    analysis    of    the    important    terms 
used   in  political  economy;   a  discussion  of  the  inadequacy  of 
proposed    political    changes;    and    a   lucid    presentation    of   the 
final    perfect   solution. 

CONTENTS:  Chapter  1.  Clear  Thinking.  2.  Value.  3.  Money. 
or  Currency.  4.  Rent.  5.  Property.  6.  Capital  and 
Interest.  7.  Taxation.  8.  Transportation.  9.  Competi 
tion  and  Co-operation.  10.  Anarchism.  11.  Single  Tax. 
12.  Socialism.  13.  Mysticism.  14.  Other  Theories 
(more  than  twenty.)  15.  Self-Government.  16.  Educa 
tion.  17.  Evolution.  18.  Annular  Evolution.  19.  Re 
ligion  and  Morals.  20.  A  Balanced  Land  Tenure.  A 
Personal  Note.  References. 

A   companion   piece   to   "Atziloth,    The   Art   of   Equity." 
In  preparation. 

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